One last time
by Blazeraptor54
Summary: "A fox wondering at midnight is easy prey for a Beowulf." A girl wearing red said as she looked at a blonde hair boy, "you should be wielding a weapon ya know...besides the knives." The blonde chuckled as he looked at her, "Rube, I'm my own weapon."
1. Chapter 1

A rain covered street was lit up by lightning as a lone figure, dressed in a tan hooded cloak dashed from alleyway-to-alleyway. He stopped once he came upon a man with bright reddish orange hair, wearing a rather nice suit and sporting a bejeweled cane.

He turned to look at the cloak figure, smiling, "very good. You see guys therefore I hire children, especially the _forgotten_ , little munchkins, very sneaky-sneaky."

The lone figure, standing at waist height compared to the man and his entourage held out his hands. Inside of them was a few wads of multi colored bills. "Oooh-oh, looky-look!" The well-dressed redhead said as he gripped the small figure's shoulder and shook him a little bit.

"let's see here," the man snatched the wad of bills from the hands of the figure, "you've been a spree kid."

"I don't like doing this," the figure spoke in a small masculine voice, "I need the mone…"

"For dear old grandpa, oh woes my dear old grandpa, I tell ya what sport." The man lightly tapped his face before pulling his hood off revealing a mop of blonde hair.

"Sunny, you keep doing jobs for me, and I might have to…boop!" The man slightly raised his voice as he tapped the middle of the blonde's forehead, "delay nature a little tinzy bit more."

"Oi Roman, I think the kid pissed his pants." One of the thugs called out.

"Hey now," Roman gently grabbed the boy's chin revealing under the traces under shattered moonlight of his face, "wouldn't won't our Fennec here being spooked."

"Look Roman I just want this all to stop, gramps is in bad health, he doesn't like what I do to get him medicine." The boy spoke with earnest and plead, "I just want this over with. That's four thousand Lien."

"You want this over?" Roman questioned, as the boy nodded his head and held back his tears of fear.

The blonde was pushed hard towards the ground as Roman raised his cane, and proceeded to beat it against the boy. "Have. You. Not. Learn. A. Goddamn. Thing?!" he screamed as he then kicked the boy after shouting at him.

"I own you, I own the lower district, I own your bloody grandpa." He then looked at the child, "or would you like me to liquidate all assets starting with you?"

"R-Roman," the boy pleaded, "please I'm sorry."

"Oh, look at you Sunny, did I cloud your hopes again?" Roman mocked as he pressed the end of the cane against the boy's chin.

Blood, small amounts, dripped from his nose where Roman had one clean hit on it. It was bent out of shape, slightly, and the boy just wiped the blood off with his wrist.

"Goddamn it Naruto," Roman looked at his wet suit from the rain, "you got me all wet. Want to know how much this suit cost me?"

"H-how much?" Naruto muttered in a defeat.

"Three thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine," Roman simply tossed a light blue bill onto Naruto's curled up form, "Lien."

The slow tap of cane indicated that Roman was slowly walking away, slowly getting up, Naruto grabbed the one Lien. "What you get ya little shit," the blonde looked at one of the thugs, "for talking back to the boss."

Naruto watched as they walked away, gripping the bill out of anger, he gritted his teeth as tears spilled out of his eyes and mixed with the rainwater on his face.

Pulling his hood over his head, the blonde simply stuck the one bill in his cloak's inner pocket and walked away.

* * *

A couple of hours, and pickpocket trips later, Naruto slowly made his way across a garbage ridden street.

His hood was down, revealing a clearer image of his features. Two, foxlike ears with blonde fur adorned the sides of his head, almost covered by his long spikey blonde hair. His eyes a cerulean, almost a like the waves of the ocean, glinted against the moonlight.

Rounding a corner, coming to a rundown apartment complex, the blonde looked over the high walls of The City of Vale. Sighing, he simply walked up towards the top apartment, and unlocked the door. However, when he walked into the apartment he saw his grandfather.

His grandfather was laying on the floor, facedown, not moving. "Gramps?"

Naruto walked over, flipping the man over, only to back away when he did.

The man's lips were blue, his skin was cold to the touch, and he had a large bruise across his head. Naruto looked over to the table, noticing one of the chairs knocked over. Shaking, he had more tears fall from his eyes as he roared out in anguish.

Collapsing to his knees, and knee walking over to him, the blonde sobbed as he grabbed on the loose shirt of his grandfather.

Burying his head into his chest, the boy sobbed as he shook. "Gramps! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Roaring out more, Naruto hit his head as he had tears and even snout run down his face from the sobbing. "Gramps, c'mon, don't do this!"

Naruto laid the man's head down, before getting on top of his chest, "don't you do this!"

Naruto started chest compressions like he was taught by a nurse, "don't go, don't go!"

The blonde started to do them faster, "Grandpa!"

"You said that you'd see me go to signal next year, you promised me!" Naruto screamed as he stopped compressions after a few minutes, before beating on the man's chest. "Don't do this, grandpa please!"

Naruto sobbed as he clutched the shirt of the man, sobbing back into his chest, "don't leave me…"

"I'm so sorry Grandpa, I tried to be done with Roman, I tried to tonight. I was going to get your medicine, this is my fault!" Naruto screamed as he smacked his face to wipe the deluge of tears of way.

Slowly getting off the man, the boy just went back to cradling his head, "Gramps…Oh no…no-no-no…"

A neighbor came running to the door, "what in the blazes of all Grim-Oh my god!"

The woman ran over to him, looking at the dead man in the boy's arms. "Oh honey," she grasped at the boy's shoulders, "come on with me, we'll call the police."

* * *

"Hey kid, my name is Daniel Imia, I'm the police captain in this station." A large, muscled man, said as he walked through the door.

Naruto didn't even look up, a bandage across his nose, plus his stained face was all that was needed to be said for the boy's current state of mind. "Listen kid, you were brought in mumbling that the man in there was your grandfather…were you adopted?"

"Yes…" Naruto simply and void of any emotional attachment muttered.

"Hmm, that's a mighty brave thing of a man to do, especially in his age. Was his name Hiruzen Sarutobi?" Daniel inquired as he got out a notepad.

"Yes…" Naruto once again mumbled.

"And, you're Naruto Uzumaki? Tell me, Naruto." The man took a deep breath, "did your grandfather have any other family."

"He has a grandson named Konohamaru, his mother is married to a soldier in Atlas." Naruto answered, "they estranged him when he adopted me."

"Oh…" Daniels looked at the young boy, "is it because you're faunas?"

The boy looked up at the man, before shrugging and shaking his head. "I don't know…" he began to sob again.

"How old are you kid?" Daniel questioned.

"Eleven." Naruto answered through the sobs as he tried to hold them back.

"It takes a lot of willpower kid; your grandfather was dying of Tracer's Syndrome…you knew that, right?" Daniel questioned.

"All I know he was sick, and he didn't get better…" Naruto muttered as he curled up more while sitting down, "he's been unable to do much."

"Well, kid, you should be damned proud of yourself. Not many can provide at such a young age, but I have to ask because of protocol…did your grandfather beat you?" Daniel inquired on bruises.

"No…" Naruto shook his head, "just a bad day for a walk."

"I see…well kid, I'll be calling district to go and pick up your belongings out of the home." Naruto looked at him, "you'll be moved to an orphanage in the lower sector."

"Can I at least know when the funeral will be?" Naruto questioned.

"Of course, you're family kiddo." Daniel said as he patted the kid's back, but was slightly disheartened by the way this boy's hard day.

Every so often, everyone had a _hard day_ where something wouldn't just work right, and often it foresaw tragedy.

"When do I go?" Naruto inquired as he looked at Officer Daniel.

"You'll have to be there tonight," the man placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "it will be hard little guy."

Naruto just frowned as he slowly looked towards the door, before slowly being escorted to it.

He stopped, before looking at him. "Can I have my grandfather's books…I like to read about Hunters."

"Sure kid," Daniel got up, "let me get the door."

* * *

Naruto opened the door to his new _home_ as he carried a rucksack into the room. He looked around, seeing a small twin sized bed, box spring on the floor, leaving no space underneath. The blonde slowly laid the rucksack down, before walking back outside to grab two more rucksacks.

"Alright kid, that's about it. Breakfast is at seven in the morning, it's currently one so I suggest you sleep. Lunch is thirteen in the afternoon, and dinner is eighteen in the evening. We got a library, we got a television in the group room. You'll go over the rules in the morning." A woman said as she walked behind the boy as he reentered the room, "you have a good night."

Sighing Naruto slowly walked towards the bed, collapsing into it, before pulling out a picture he had in his cloak's pocket.

A picture of him, and his grandfather holding hands in front of an Airbus destined for Patch.

Signal Academy.

* * *

"isn't it a little harsh how the system works sir, being processed so fast?" Daniel inquired as he sat down and had coffee with his partner.

"Vale is a prosperous, but even the most prosperous of countries have a streamlined code. This kid, you said he lived near the walls, isn't that where a lot of disgraced or disabled hunters lived?" Daniel nodded at the other officer's question.

"You'd think that Hunters would be treated with dignity in that event, even for one such as Sarutobi." Daniel told the officer as he sipped on his coffee, "damn shame. Spend the highlights of their years fighting an infestation as old as man itself only to get casted out on his choice to abandon an officiate to save a child."

"Oh, damn, that was him? That officiate was a general from Atlas, that almost caused another conflict." The man said as he remembered the news reel about it.

"There was going to be a trial, but Hiruzen chose a guilty plea, a damn good bargain. For the death of an Atlas General his rank was pulled from the Hunter Database, his license revoked, but he got to keep his life." Daniel explained, "until he adopted that Faunas we brought in earlier."

"You seem to have something personal to this case?" his partner shifted in his seat, "sup with that?"

"It's nothing personal, but I read through the files last night, cases like this are always hard hit. Forgotten Children, Forgotten Elders, Forgotten this-and-that. Forgotten, Forgotten-forgotten, the living conditions they're forced to undertake is sad in itself." Daniel finished his coffee, "A stray Grimm ends up over that wall and maybe one day we'll be dragging that Faunas kid into the morgue."

"That was kind of dark Daniel." His partner stated as he grabbed his newspaper.

The sudden buzzing of his scroll brought Daniel's attention to it, before he picked it up. "Y'ello."

 _"_ _I believe a friend of mine took a little trip to your station, where is he now?"_ Daniel eyes widened as he got up from his seat.

"Something wrong sir?" his partnered looked at the panicked cop.

"Nothing's wrong Probie," Daniels said as he grabbed his gun, "I just got a lead is all."

* * *

Naruto got up from his bed, sweat rolled down of his brow as he quickly wiped it off. Slowly stretching the blonde walked over towards his rucksack, pulling three articles of clothing from it. A brown pair of boxers, an orange shirt with a black rabbit painted on it, and black sweatpants.

Walking over to the mirror he looked at himself, before seeing all the dry tear stains. Licking his palm, he began wiping them off one at a time, before just giving up and laying against the mirror with his head. Naruto looked at his face, the bruising still there, and he clenched his fist.

 _"_ _I made a promise!"_ Naruto cocked his hand back before smashing it into the glass, _"_ _I said I'd take care of you!"_

He hated seeing himself, he hated seeing himself so weak, so pitiful, he hated being so weak and pitiful!

He hated how he was nothing but a dog to Roman. Hating the fact, he couldn't get more of his Grandfather's medicine, hated the fact that he was Faunus. All of this, all this hatred, it was boiling inside of him like a raging demon.

Something had to give as blood dripped down his hand.

The one image that came to his mind, Roman beating him with a cane.

Like. A. Dog.

Naruto eyes began to glow a pale orange as something began to build up, no something began to explode, something boiling. He couldn't describe this feeling, this feeling of anger and sadness mixed into one.

The blonde's hair stood up to attention, something like a fuzz of static felt about his body, like it was void of feeling. Finally, after all of this, the last image of him holding his grandfather along with Roman laughing in the background, let loose the floodgate.

A sharp blast of wind, a screeching hum of energy, an unknown previous unheard noise to his ears. His eyes closed, trapped in that one image, but when they opened they were stuck upon another. His room a mess, the glass that had imbedded his skin was pushed out, his hands had begun healing.

The orange glow eyes staring back at him, it felt…wrong but right.

The orange waves of the energy leaked from the equally impressive form fitting outline of a darker orange that seemed to hug his body. He looked at his hands, himself in the small bits of glass, and he felt as though a tidal wave of rage had just crashed into him.

He didn't know why, he didn't know how, and he didn't know the trigger.

Was it the years of abuse from Roman, the desperate attempt at repaying his grandfather for taking him when he was capable, the daily racism he dealt with on lower sector of Vale. Maybe, just maybe it was these, finally breaking down some sort of wall within himself.

He then thought, a dark thought creeped into his head, with all this power…could he get revenge?

The abuse was one thing, but if he hadn't needed to go on a few more pickpocketing trips his grandfather might've been alive. After all, Tracer's syndrome was treatable with potent and expensive antibiotics, and his inability to get them that night may had resulted in his grandfather's death.

These thoughts played, like a violin, in the boy's head. Finally, the strings had snapped, and he fell forward as his energy dispersed from his body. Breathing hard, throwing up contents of yesterday's soup across the floor, the amount of power he had just felt was intense.

His emotions were intense, his body felt light but heavy at the same time. He couldn't explain it, but besides the dry heaving that had now taken the place of actual vomiting his body didn't seem to wretch as much as it should've.

As much as it used to do in this situation, but now he was keeping himself stable.

"Dear Gods!" A woman's yell snapped him back to reality, he and her both locked eyes.

His body suddenly, for whatever reason, felt incredibly heavy. Naruto eyes rolled back as he fell to the side, his head barely missing the puddle of vomit.

"Nurse! Nurse!" The matron screamed as she ran out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

"The boy is fine; his condition is just an onset of an involuntary use of his aura. It's not common, but it's not unheard of for children of Hunters to have strong aura, let alone grandchildren." The Nurse said as she looked at Officer Daniel, "so what brings you here sir?"

"I'm here to collect the boy, apparently, _he_ knows him." The Nurse looked at Daniel with disgust.

"Absolutely not!" She yelled as she crossed her arms, her green eyes glaring into the man.

"Look, Roman isn't the type of guy you cross, and if this Faunas is a part of his gang…" Daniel looked at Naruto to make sure he was still sleeping, "then it's more than likely he'll be coming here himself to _check on_ him."

"Why would he do that, what did the boy do wrong?" The Nurse inquired as she brushed her faded blonde hair aside.

"I think he may have been…a fisher." Daniel told the Nurse, "a kid tha…"

"A child that is able to get close to people, be skilled enough to pickpocket, and get away nary any suspicion. "The Nurse interjected as she crossed her arms, "I'm very aware where I live Imai."

"Yes, and you know that Torchwick rules the entire goddamn lower district, both from here to the seedy areas in the ports. Mebuki, if the man just wants to see the kid, let him see the damn kid." Daniel argued as he crossed his arms.

"So," she shook her head, "I used to be a Huntress in training prior to me getting pregnant with my daughter."

"Roman isn't a normal thug woman!" Daniel screamed, "if you stand in his way he'll kill you."

"So, I guess you're just another idiot in his pocket?" Mebuki crossed her arms while keeping alert.

Her white coat flapped slightly when she had a flicker of green energy appear around her. She sighed, going towards the door, before opening it. There a cane was pointed at her face, followed by a man snickering. "Bang."

Jumping back, she had her fists brought up, before Officer Daniel got in between them. "Let's not do anything rash."

"You know, madam, you really should listen to the officer." Roman said as he walked into the room, "I was merely joking is all."

"Your jokes about killing aren't welcome here, scum." Mebuki hissed as she backed up towards the boy.

"I don't have qualms about killing, besides officer Daniel here is a very loyal paycheck-to-paycheck man of mine. His paycheck? Well, simple, he obeys me and his little girl gets to go to that great school he's been wanting to send her." Roman then put the end of his cane on the officer's shoulder, "isn't that right?"

"Y-y-yes sir?" Daniel stuttered as he backed up from Mebuki.

Roman took his place, whistling before giving her a sultry look over, "so I overheard you are married. I mean I was married once, had a little girl actually, then the broad just walks out on me one day."

"What of it?" Mebuki questioned the man as he slowly reached behind her back.

Taking notice Roman pointed his cane at Mebuki, the tip opening to reveal a gun like mechanism. "Ah-ah-aaahh, that wouldn't be very nice thing, but if you want to see if your capable of slitting my throat before I blow that pretty brain of yours across the floor then go ahead. Last time was merely a jest, this time you know it's the real deal."

Mebuki let go of the scalpel, before bring her hand to her side, "what do you want?"

"Oh, I came here for him." Roman pointed his cane at Naruto, "you see I've come to give condolences."

"Bullshit." Mebuki muttered loudly and clenched her fists.

"Oh, but it is true, you see Naruto has been a very great asset to me." Roman walked over to him, before tapping his cane on the boy's face. "So why can't I just give him some condolences?"

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, before fully opening when he saw Roman standing there talking to the nurse, and the officer. "R-Roman?"

"Oh, look at this, I guess my voice is great for waking up the dead." Roman joked as he turned to Naruto, "my condolences lad on the loss of your grandfather."

"Leave." Naruto muttered as he clenched his fist.

Roman took a step back, "I beg your pardon, I just came to give condolences dear boy."

"My grandfather is dead Roman, I don't want nothing to do with you anymore…" Naruto continued as he sat up, coughing slightly.

Roman pursed his lips, before chuckling, "come again?"

"I lost my only family because you got a little offended, I read my Grandfather's journal last night…I couldn't sleep…" Naruto eyed Roman's cane, "in it he wished that I'd walk away from you as his final wish."

"Oh come now, Tracer's syndrome isn't effected by me!" Roman exasperated in offense, though in tone it was mocking.

"I don't care," Naruto said as he slowly got up from the bed, "leave."

"Where's the hostility coming from Sunny, you lost your marbles?" Roman questioned as he tapped the blonde's head.

The blonde growled out, but bit his tongue. "No, I just want to be alone…"

"Oh come now, we're all family in my gang." Roman slightly scratched the blonde's nose, "closer than kin."

"Kin don't keep other kin from saving their family, if I had made it in time with the medicine, if you had given me the money…I could've saved him." Naruto muttered while keeping his anger hidden.

"Well that explains the pain pills we found in the pockets of the kid's cloak, but Adrexule isn't really an effective treatment to Tracer's." Daniel eyed Roman, the man merely chuckled.

"Oh, it isn't, I could've sworn that." Roman cruelly spoke towards Naruto.

"Wait…what?" Naruto eyes widened when he heard what Roman said.

"Um, Roman, I think that's taking it too far." Daniel tried to reason, only to get smacked in the head by Roman with his cane.

"Who asked you dog?!" Roman yelled at Daniel, before turning his attention to Naruto.

The boy was seething, a look of betrayal in his eyes. "What exactly treat Tracer's…."

"Oh, that's a simple misstep on my part, that's Adrexele. It's the anti-parasitic pill instead of the partner pain pills. Cost about the same, and I only remember money." Roman shrugged, "guess that's just a tough break."

A tough break?

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing, for almost two years now he had been giving grandfather pain medication instead of medicine. "B-but, wouldn't the shop keep tell me?"

"Oh, you mean Chase? Nah, he hates Faunas, probably found it funny giving you the wrong meds. Then again, here's the reality kid, you're a good money maker." Roman explained, "and you're grandfather…was becoming a nuisance."

"My God…" Daniel uttered.

"Wait…nuisance, he was the reason that I even joined up with you in the first place!" Naruto yelled as he got up, stumbling slightly.

"You hesitated, more and more, you started getting soft. Then you kept telling me you wanted out here and there, that the old man was getting slightly better." Roman took a deep breath as he lit a cigar, "you kept having these dreams…about Signal…being a Hunter."

Naruto just stood there.

"I then realized something Naruto, someone like you becoming a Hunter regardless of you actually achieving it or not would be very detrimental to my business. So, I made sure to take precautions." Roman explained, "your grandfather was one of those precautions…until he tried to make you leave my organization."

"He only did…because he cared about me…and that I needed to achieve my dreams." Naruto defended, only to have his chin cupped by Roman's hand.

"Dreams, wishes, hopes? Face reality kid, they come from nowhere because they will lead you nowhere. They're just pipe dreams, a whore's wish, fool's gold." Roman took a drag of his cigar, "and I think it's high time for liquation of assets."

"I'll never ever forgive you Roman…" Naruto muttered as he eyed Roman eye-to-eye, "one of these days Roman now or somewhere in the future I'll be the one to beat you."

"Heh, that's rich." Roman roughly grabbed Naruto's hair, before pulling him close and blowing his cigar's smoke across his face. "Almost sounded like you were threatening me."

"No, I'm not threatening you, I'm promising you. Today, Naruto Uzumaki isn't your little dog." Naruto spat in his face.

The whole room got silent. "I quit."

Without warning, even to the surprise of Daniel, the cane that Roman had come crashing across Naruto's leg. Sending the youth to the floor with a thump, "you little bastard!"

Mebuki was about to intervene when Daniel grabbed her, and held her tight to keep her from interfering as Roman proceeded to hit the boy one more time. "If you want to quit," Roman smashed the into his back, "then you can be a goddamn cripple!"

Naruto stood up, taking the blow to his head directly, blood ran down his forehead from where the cane impacted. "You've beaten me, you've insulted my heritage, and not once have I ever dared rise against. Two years ago, up until now, I was loyal to you so that my grandfather could live."

"Daniel, escort the _kind_ nurse outside." Roman ordered.

Daniel grabbed Mebuki, dragging her out of the room, before Roman pursed his lips as he looked at Naruto.

"Got to admit Sunny, I wondering when you were going to grow some and stand up to me. Guess animals are alike, you got to beat them hard enough before they bite." Roman insulted Naruto as he grabbed his cane like a bat.

"Did you want my grandfather to die?" Naruto looked at Roman.

"Heh, everyday kid." Roman admitted as he tossed his cigar at Naruto.

The cigar bounces off his head, before Naruto could fully react, he just stands there. "I'll kill you, I'll kill you Roman…I'll make sure it's when you least suspect it."

"Better make it quick, because I'm knocking your block off here in a second you little bastard." Roman warned him as he cocked his arms back.

Roman swiped at Naruto, who back stepped into a counter. The blonde's back crashed into it, before dodging to the right from another swipe. "Won't you just stand there, after all I'll make it quick!"

Roman watched as Naruto leaped across the bed, and walked over towards the other side. "Why won't you stay still!"

Roman raised the cane above his head.

"It's because," Naruto eyes widened as he bum rushed Roman and tackled him, "I got nothing left to lose because of you!"

This was it, all that rage pouring out, again.

The force of the impact made Roman's back go into the opposite counter, stunning him from the force, with Naruto hitting his head on the counter. Backing away, Naruto shook off the pain long enough for a glimmer of the orange energy to envelope his body as he cocked his fist back. "Raaaghh!" he screamed as he sent his fist colliding into Roman's stomach.

The cane clattered against the floor as Naruto sent another fist right where his first one connected.

Roman coughed up a little bit, stunned by the sudden force of power, and caught completely off guard. However, unfortunately for Naruto, he recovered quickly and grabbed the boy's head by his ears and smashed him into the counter.

"You. Are. Nothing. But. My. Tool!" Roman yelled in between slamming Naruto's head onto the counter.

When he pulled Naruto all the way back and went to slam him down, he was stunned when he felt Naruto caught himself with his hands on the counter. Roman was about to reached down and smash the boy's brains out with his cane when something cracked him on the back of the head.

Mebuki, the nurse, stood there holding a chair.

Naruto had blood running down his face, sliding face first down the counter, before looking right at Roman. He barely twitched as Naruto turned to lean against the counter, fists shaking. He looked over to see Officer Daniel laying on the ground outside the door, a lump over his head as well.

"Shit-shit-shit," Mebuki muttered as she got out medical tape and began to tie Roman's hands, kicking the cane away from him.

She then hurried and did the same thing to Officer Daniel, tying his hands as well. She rushed over to Naruto, who was half in and out as his vision faded. She pressed on his skull, gently putting pressure around it, she sighed in what seemed to be relief, "no factures thank whatever divine being out there for that."

Naruto felt the woman pull him up, carrying him in her arms, "l need to get you to a hospital kid."

She carried him out of the room, passing a matron, "Oh my god Mebuki!"

"Do not untie that officer, and don't let anyone in here, but the police to arrest Roman Torchwick!" Mebuki yelled as she brushed past the matron.

The matron ran with him, "isn't that the new arrival, what happened to him?"

"Aura happened, apparently blondie here grew some big boy pants and decided to attack Roman." Mebuki told the matron.

"He what, oh god no, this isn't good!" the young matron said as she jugged towards the front door.

"Wait, wait!" Mebuki stopped as the matron shouted at her, "he could have posted his thugs outside."

"You're right, I got my car parked outside, Amelia please do not act out of the ordinary if they come in." Mebuki told the matron as he carried the boy out to the back.

Amelia waved her brown her behind her ears, before stepping behind her counter, she went to pick up the phone before feeling something touch the back of her head. She turned around to see Officer Daniel, holding a scalpel in his heads.

"Make a call," he pressed the tip of the blade on the back of her neck, "I'll cut your c-three vertebra."

"Y-yes sir," Amelia stuttered out of fear, "how can I help you."

"You can help us by telling me where that little bastard went." Roman appeared in front of her, followed by a couple of his thugs.

"B-back parking lot." She answered as she slowly put down the phone.

Roman chuckled as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigar, he lit it up before taking a drag out of it. "Schnee Reserve Tobacco mmm," he blew the smoke in her face, "it's almost like murder."

Amelia's eyes widen as she felt a sharp pain in back of her neck, before falling limp onto floor, her eyes faded from life. Daniel stood there, before looking at Roman who had quickly appeared behind the woman and stabbed her, "I'll delete the camera footage."

"Well I hoped you would Danny boy, because if you don't I'm just going to have to blow your stupid frigging brains across the floor for botching a simple task of just grabbing the boy!" Roman chastised Daniel as he walked away.

* * *

Mebuki got outside, getting her scroll out, she clicked a few buttons before her car unlocked. "C'mon kid." She said as she opened the backdoor of the car up and laid him inside.

 _"_ _Where the hell are the cops?"_ Mebuki observed the lack of sirens in the air.

She heard a clap, before looking towards the door she just exited out of. "Bravo, good job, what a hero!" Roman spoke aloud as he twirled a bloody scalpel in his hands, "too bad you're not out of the woods missy."

Roman's thugs, both armed with a blade, slowly walked towards Mebuki. "Why are you intent on this boy?"

"You see that boy in that car was an asset to me, however his grandfather was used for leverage due to his unique skillset. I don't know how to explain it, he just seemed to go unnoticed wherever he went. A perfect bait, a perfect fisher." Roman explained, "but like a bad mutt he's disobedient and eventually needs to be put down."

"So, you're afraid the kid was going to blab his mouth?" Mebuki scoffed as she clenched her fists.

"Kind of, but you see, if I'm being honest." Roman took a long drag of his cigar and finished it off, "I don't like animals ruining my clothes."

"You're just a pathetic man, going after a kid, I hope a Grimm eats you alive." Mebuki spoke as she brought her fists up in a boxer's stance.

"Uh, lady, what are you going to do with fists? My guys got machetes dumb-dumb, they'll make blonde sushi out of you." Roman insulted as he watched his man get closer, before something caught his eyes.

"You should know better," Mebuki raised her fists into the air, "to challenge a Huntress!"

A green energy flowed around her as she smashed her fists into the ground, a quake within parking lot formed as stone cracked into the likeness of a spider's web. Several stones flew into the air, before Mebuki drew her right hand back, and smashed the stones to where they were sent flying into the thugs.

Leaping towards the thug on the right, she bent her legs back, and her right arm cocked back. The thug shook his head as he slowly got his bearings only to feel the fist of a former Huntress smash into his face. The thug screamed out as the force of the blow made him throw his arms up, letting go of his blade, which twirled in the air.

Wasting no time, and seemingly perceiving everything around her slowly, she launched her left first into his sternum. The thug's eyes widen as he felt the bones in his midsection crack and break before being launch back towards Roman.

The redhead man just scoffed as he sidestepped to the right to avoid his thug. _"_ _Not bad."_

The other thug came behind her, "you're mine witch!"

Mebuki eyes widened as she grabbed the handle of the falling blade, reversing gripping it, and launched herself backwards. The thug screamed as the blade sunk into his chest, appearing out of his back, before she pulled herself forward.

The thug's screams became pained groans as he fell limply forward, his life failing soon afterwards.

Not missing a beat, Mebuki turned on her heel, before launching the blade at Roman. The blade screeched as it flew into the air, only for Roman to point his cane at it and blast it out of the air.

He then fired at the car where Naruto was laid in, the blonde had passed out shortly after being put into the car, unaware of the battle going on around him.

Thinking fast, Mebuki appeared in front of the car, coating her arm in the green energy. "Raagghh!" She roared as she deflected the projectile with her right forearm.

Roman clapped as he jumped away to avoid being hit by Mebuki who leaped at him. The one to get hit by her was Officer Daniel who appeared at the door just right before she landed.

He was sent flying back into the hallway, smashing his head into an open door, knocking him unconscious.

Mebuki scoffed as she turned towards Roman, who was running towards the car, "no you don't!"

Roman turned, using his cane to guard against an unrelenting pressure from Mebuki's fist smashing into his cane. It made him take a knee, but he used this lower ground to angle himself so he could deliver a kick to her foreleg.

Mebuki stumbled forward, leaving her open to a blast by Roman, who snickered as the ball of energy left his cane. The blonde woman before him was finally going to go down!

However, when she turned fully around and backhanded the blast away, he had to back up to avoid a series of punches. Using his cane to deflect a few, he got his opening, and a small dagger appeared in his hand as he thrusted it into her abdomen.

Mebuki grunted in pain, but much to Roman's surprise, that's about all she gave him besides the fist colliding with his face. "Ahh!" Roman screamed in both pain and shock as he was sent sprawling against the wall of the orphanage.

Grunting as she felt of the dagger in her stomach, she coughed up some blood as she looked at Roman, "lucky bastard."

Roman laid against the wall, allowing Mebuki to get into her car and start it up, She looked behind her to see Naruto laying in the back seat, he was unconscious, likely from the head trauma he received from Roman.

She wondered Amelia hadn't called the police and drove off. She growled as she struggled to keep control of the car as she reached with her left hand to pull her scroll out. Using her nose to tap the numbers needed, the ring tone began, before a dispatcher answered.

 _"_ _Vale Emergency Services, how can we assist you."_

"Mam, listen please. My name is Mebuki Haruno, I'm a nurse at one of the local government youth centers in lower Vale City. I've got a child with me, age eleven and I need to Dr. Monroe Hospital to be prepped for cat scans as I'm driving towards it." She grunted as she nearly lost control of the vehicle, blood slowly leaked from the dagger in her gut.

"I need…I need someone ready to do emergency surgery. The Youth Center I'm from is near Shadow Quarter it's on lock down, and I fear a coworker of mine by name of Amelia may be dead. There is three people there, Roman Torchwick, Officer Daniel, and a man I couldn't catch the name of!" Mebuki screamed as she forced to dodge a large transport truck. "All three of those people I've described attacked me and the boy I'm currently transporting."

 _"_ _Okay mam, we'll have the hospital prepped for the arrival. It says here that you're a retired Huntress, is this true."_

"Yes…" Mebuki groaned as she got off the exit, and saw the hospital.

Coming into the emergency part of the parking lot, her lab coat stained red from the waist down, she hobbled out of the car, collapsing on the ground. Some EMTs rushed over to her, "Don't worry about me! Get the kid, the kid in the back!"

One stayed over with her, grabbing the kid the other one rushed him inside, her vision started to fade as she watched the boy opened his eyes. He weakly reached out to her, much to her hope and she couldn't help but smile as the boy's eyes seemed to glimmer with a concern for her.

"Mam, we need to get you into operation right now, come on!" The EMT yelled as he helped her up, only for her to go limp.

"Help, help!" Another EMT came running over, "crash cart now!"


	3. Chapter 3

Roman rode down the road in his limousine, he had bandages across his face, plus a cast around his arm. He looked at one of his thugs, and Officer Daniel. The man was tapping his cane with his free hand, "uh boss…are you o-gaaah!"

The thug was stopped when Roman smashed the tip of his cane in the thug's throat, breaking his trachea. The man rolled on the floor gagging for air as Roman lit a cigar, looking directly at Officer Daniel, he had a look of fury on his eyes.

"Look Roman, I…I'm sorry." Daniel had the cane pointed right at his face.

"Way beyond that Daniel, way beyond… _that_." Daniel eyes widened as the tip of the cane popped open.

* * *

Inside a forest, a large forest, Naruto wondered as his yellow cloak fluttered in the wind. He didn't know what was going on, one minute being beaten over the head by Roman and being saved by the nurse, the next waking up in a forest.

He had been wondering around this forest for quite a while, but it was strange, this forest didn't remind him of Vale, nor did it remind him of Mistral. They both had dark colored leafs, but these leafs were bright green, the trees tall beyond his capability to understand how.

Was he dead?

What a way to go, he had always figured in some way or form Roman would've been the one to end him. However, he never imaged Heaven being a place so…colorful. He always thought it would have been bleached white, like in the storybooks.

Naruto stopped walking when he saw a person, taller than him, much taller than him standing in the middle of the path. He wore a white cloak, covering his head, but what was weird about the cloak was the design of several markings around the collar.

"H-hello?" Naruto muttered as he slowly walked towards the cloaked figure, "are you an angel?"

The cloaked figure merely turned on his heel, "you're not ready."

"Ready…ready for what?" Naruto questioned as he watched the man walk away, "hey!"

Naruto walked with the cloaked figure, before he noticed that out of the forest, there was a large temple. A very large temple, which had been built into a mountain.

Something was flooding his ears, it was music, no it was chanting.

"Thousands become one, one become thousands." The chant continued in mantra, "soul divided and soul reunited."

The boy couldn't understand, he walked towards the temple, before everything seem to darken. His eyes, his body, all felt weak as his approach came to a sudden halt as all faded to nothingness. All he could hear was water drops, smacking water, in what seemed to be an endless void of darkness.

 _"_ _Is this the end…"_ Naruto looked around, turning over to face what used to be the sky.

Slowly, however, he noticed something strange. A small flicker, it was like a match, the light so tiny it was almost swallowed by the darkness around it. He wished he could reach it, maybe he could, and in the end of it all he raised his hands.

"I need a light…" Naruto muttered, "it's so dark here…"

Slowly, that small flicker of a light descended towards him. He then noticed something odd about the flame, it was indeed the side of a flame one would expect from a match. However, it was orange in color, bright orange like the energy outburst he had from before.

Was this something to do with it?

Naruto was timid at first, but came to cup the flame in his palms. He noticed in the very epicenter of the flame was a small swirl, it was dark red in color, and in the shape of something he had never seen before.

Maybe this was his acceptance of death, and this light was to lead him back to Heaven?

 **"** **You are given small liberty, small power, and small seeds. Go forth, grow the tree that bears fruit of labor, be one with yourself and nature."**

Before Naruto could even respond, the flame enveloped his body with a thin orange veil, very thin. Unlike other times, he seemed too calm for it to be working. He wondered what this calm feeling was, it was like he was being enveloped in a hug, and not just from two people.

His eyes fluttered once more, slowly closing, the last thing he saw was the visage of woman with her back to him. She had long hair, going down her back, before her faceless form turned to him.

 _"_ _Time to wake up Naruto."_

* * *

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" A small girl with pink hair yelled as she sent punch after punch to a wild haired man that was smiling.

"Good Sakura, good, keep it up!" the man with darker pink hair said as he continued to block the punches with an open palm.

"Cha!" She screamed when she fully cocked back her fist, before an emerald green energy enveloped her.

The man's eyes widened as a pink energy surrounded his palm, before he felt Sakura smash her fist into his palm. His eyes widened as a wave of pain surged through his arm, "eehh!" he yelped as he held his arm.

"Dad, you okay!" The man had tears pouring down his eyes in a comic fashion as he turned away from his daughter.

His eyes were white with pain as held his now broken hand, _"_ _she hits just as hard as her mother!"_

"Dad!" Sakura walked around to see him clutching his hand as he breathed deep breaths.

"I'm fine honey, you just punch a little hard is all." Her father spoke as he turned the hand around, "I guess that does hand-to-hand combat training for the day."

"Dad, when's mom going to come here to Patch?" Sakura questioned as he walked behind her father.

"Soon honey, besides we're late getting back and you have school tomorrow." Her father said as he rubbed her hair.

"Yeah…wonder if Lee is still gearing up for his exam. It is his sophomore year and they usually give tests." Sakura thought aloud as she fingered her chin before snapping her fingers, "he's got weapons building!"

"Oh my, I remember weapon building, I built my Axel that day." Kizashi proudly said as he nursed his hand while holding it to his chest.

Sakura looked at him, "you mean that ugly looking halberd-shotgun?"

Kizashi nearly tripped, stunned at his own daughter's words. "H-hey that halberd-shotgun paid for our house here ya know!"

"Jeez dad take a joke, I really want my mother's though, the big o'l axe." Sakura stated as she pumped her arms.

"And, why's that?" Kizashi asked as he rolled his eyes.

She merely smirked, "what's scarier, a halberd with a shotgun, or a giant war axe that's being manned by girl?"

Kizashi was about to give a smartass reply when he had a memory enter his head, he paled at the memory, and he just tensed up as he shook. Never, and probably ever again, would he feel sorry for one Beowulf.

The Grimm was flattened out because Mebuki, for all intensive rage in her youth, decided that death would come slowly for that Grimm. Instead of chopping it, slicing it, or even shooting it with her pistol. No, oh no, she had decided to flatten it like a pancake over the course of five swings from the flat side of her war axe,

Kizashi knew two things that day, he had a fallen in love, and he better stay in love with just her. Because, maybe, just maybe the next thing she'd smash with the axe wouldn't be a Grimm.

It might've been him.

"Dad…you okay?" Sakura asked her still father who was just standing, slightly paler than before.

"Oh, ye-yeah I'm fine." Kizashi responded as he walked with Sakura, they neared their house when they saw a police officer.

 _"_ _Oh great, did she beat up another boy again?"_ Kizashi wondered as Sakura ran past the officer and into the house.

"Um, sir, anything I can help you with?" Kizashi inquired as he crossed his arms.

The officer flashed him his bade, "hello sir I'm Otto from The Vale Detective Agency there's been in a incident involving your wife."

Kizashi narrowed his eyes, "what happened?"

"There's been an incident in lower Vale, she got into what appears to be a brawl with The Torch Gang, and well someone got a lucky knife in." Otto continued as he flipped through some notes.

"No…is she alive?" Kizashi questioned as he brought his hands to his mouth.

The detective nodded, "yes but she's in emergency surgery to seal a stab wound."

* * *

A surgeon slowly sowed the wound on Mebuki shut as a nurse wiped his brow, his hands unshaken through years of experience and practice. "She's lucky," he muttered, "the left gastric artery got nicked not severed."

"Should I go ahead and write her pain medication for both here and at home?" the nurse inquired.

"Yes, that would be best, her family been notified?" The surgeon inquired as he sealed her wound.

"Yes sir, they're being flown out." The nurse said as she got the surgeon's gloves off.

"What about that Faunas she brought in with her, still in a coma?" The surgeon muttered as he motioned to the other nurses to take her to her room.

The nurse looked at the doctor, nodding, "yes I'm afraid that the young blonde is still in deep sleep. He's actually quite lucky, just minor fractures along the skull, nothing mortal or requiring any surgery."

"Yes, surgery by my hand might've damaged him, I'm not familiar with Faunas biology." The surgeon admitted as he took off his mask to reveal a pale white face.

"Either way sir you've just saved a former Huntress's life, and she is about to get reunited with her family as we speak. I say a job well done." The nurse chimed in as she smiled.

"Heh, well, I guess you're right." The surgeon gave in as he took a deep breath.

The opening of a door made them both stop, "Dr. Eli the boy's waking up."

"He is," the surgeon through on his overcoat and walked towards the door, "when?"

"Just a few moments ago, he's been silent for the most part, only asking for some water." The nurse mentioned as they exited the room.

* * *

Naruto laid on the bed, his eyes wide open as a nurse shined a light into them. "Okay, pupils reacting normally. Heartrate elevated to one hundred thirty beats a minute, thirty percent higher than normal but considering you just waking up it's your body flowing energy through it. You're going to be experiencing headaches as there is slight bruising on the brain."

"So," Naruto muttered, "I'm going to live?"

"Why of course, you'll just be needing to take some pain medication. You Faunas are strong, very strong, anyway we'll be writing your prescriptions and you-…"

"What about the nurse that brought me here, is she okay?" Naruto interrupted the nurse as he clutched the covers.

"She'll be fine, just got out of surgery." The nurse waived as she sighed, "she is very strong willed."

"You almost act like you don't care…" Naruto scoffed as he turned away from her.

She looked at the boy, taking a seat on his bed before sighing. "You should know that she is a former Huntress…and she saved your life. Roman Torchwick, and don't worry not a part of his rabble, but that man is bad news…why would he be after you?"

"I may have spit in his face." Naruto murmured as he shifted around in the bed, "he killed him…"

"Huh, I just said Huntress and she's fine." The nurse replied as she notices him lightly jerk.

Soft, but definite, sobs escaped Naruto's person as he laid there and curled up. "He killed him through me, I was so stupid, this is all wrong…"

The nurse sighed, placing a hand on his back, "killed who baby?"

"My grandfather…" Naruto whimpered as he turned to look at her, "someone who raised me for two years…to think I left Mistral…. hoping for a new life."

"Mistral?" the nurse questioned him, "why did you leave."

"More like escaped…" Naruto muttered, "Faunas aren't really treated well in Mistral."

"Oh…" the nurse murmured as she removed her hand, "want to know something kid?"

She reached up to her bonnet on her head, while Naruto looked at her, removing her bonnet to reveal a set of bearlike ears on top of her head. "I understand, the racism, you're not alone…we all have to fight. So, was your adoptive grandfather Faunas?"

"No…he was a human, but, he raised me to respect everyone." Naruto thought back to Roman, before curling up. "That respect probably put him in the grave…"

"Care to tell me why?" the Faunas nursed inquired.

Naruto looked up at her, tears flowed from his eyes, "I was too stupid to read a damn pill bottle…I was tricked into believing I was giving my grandfather something for Tracer's."

"Hmm, Tracer's is a very debilitating and very fast paced parasitic infection Naruto. Doubt that you could've really done anything beyond keep it in check, it's rare to have you know." The nurse sighed as she crossed her legs, thumbing her hands.

She took a deep breath, before looking at the kid. "I grew up in the lower districts, the slums. My name's Ursa by the way."

"Ursa…" Naruto looked at the woman's brown eyes, "can you tell me why bad things happen?"

"Bad things just happen kid, it's a part of this world." Ursa solemnly spoke, "we're just doomed to ride it out."

"Do you think by chance I could get someone help get my grandfather's stuff from the orphanage?" Naruto asked as he sat up, clutching his head slightly.

"I can call someone to get that arranged, would you like to see your savior though?" Ursa questioned as the boy held his head, a scab already forming over the large cut.

Naruto looked at her, giving a slight smile, "if I could…"

"Sure," her ears twitched, "looks like Doctor Eli is here."

Naruto tensed up as he too started hearing someone walking down the hall, followed by another set of footstep. He tensed up, reflexes on point, he knew Roman and his thugs always traveled in pairs. His eyes widened as the door opened, revealing a doctor and a nurse.

"Ah, Eli, Ziva. Looks like our patient woke up finally woke up." Ursa said as she put her bonnet back on.

"Very good, is he healing okay?" Eli inquired as he looked over to see Naruto staring at them.

He noticed something about Ziva, she had a long golden tail extending from her back with a puff a brown fur. She was also a Faunas, she looked over at Naruto, who was slightly taken aback. "Something wrong dear?"

"N-no, I'm just not used to seeing so many of my kind in one place." Naruto answered as he rubbed the back of his head.

The nurses gave him both an understanding look, before walking they both waived bye to him. Eli, the surgeon and doctor walked over towards Naruto's bed and took a seat at the chair that was bedside. Eli sighed, his green eyes training over the boy, taking in his condition as it stands. "So, Naruto how old are you?"

"I'm eleven, sir." Naruto answered as he looked at the man, "am I in trouble?"

"Not really, but I do have to ask you a question." Eli took a deep breath, "what's the deal with the tattoo on your left shoulder? It's small, barely noticeable."

Naruto just stared at the doctor before sighing and looking at him, "It's a slave code. Mistral gives them to slaves so that buyers can keep track of them, it's not as common now but Mistral still uses slave labor…mostly Faunas."

"Oh…so, I'm guess "FMNU-ten-ten" is abbreviate for Faunas-Male-Naruto-Uzumaki-October Tenth?" The doctor inquired as he relaxed in his chair.

"Shouldn't you be helping others?" Naruto looked at the man as he muttered, "what good was my runaway anyway…just seems like anywhere I go…"

"No kid, it's just getting dealt a bad hand, how did you escape?" Eli further inquired as he leaned back, looking at Naruto.

"White Fang raid," Naruto said as he raised up, "it happened quickly."

"Hmm, so The White Fang saved you, why weren't you with them?" The doctor continued the questioning as he jotted something down.

Naruto sighed, "I didn't make the cut, they only took children that could start using aura at the time. But, they gave us a choice between Vacuo, Vale, or Menagerie."

"What made you choose Vale?" The doctor continued going as he kept jotting down notes.

"Signal…I heard it was the best Hunter program besides Beacon. I thought, you know, I could unlock my aura easily and get in…life would've been easy." Naruto admitted as he looked on the nightstand next to him, "my grandfather was a White Fang collaborator for a time…it's the reason why he got me, because they trusted him with me."

"Looks like he did a good a job, albeit, minus the involvement with Roman Torchwick." Naruto tensed up at the name, grabbing the covers as he looked at the doctor.

"He…he tricked me into giving the wrong medicine to Grandpa, I'll never ever stay awake another day without thinking on how to _pay_ _him_ back." Naruto grumbled as he noticed the look on the doctor, "what?"

"I don't know if you noticed son, but it looks like you're generating an aura." Naruto eye bugged for a second, before he looked at his hands and arms.

Indeed, a thin very transparent dark orange aura was around him. Eli looked at him, before smiling, "if you want to pay Roman back kid…I'll get in contact with someone from High Ministry of Law, they've been waiting for a golden opportunity to dismantle his operations fully. They just need names, locations, and all the good routes."

"I can't give names," Naruto had an angry look in his eyes as he looked at Eli, "but I can tell you all about locations and faces."

"Then it's settled, I'll get on a call with them right away, meanwhile rest up. That nurse that rescued you should be waking shortly, that other bed over there, it may just be her bed." Eli said while pointing towards the second bed in the room.

Naruto smiled, for once genuinely, and looked at the doctor with tears coming down his eyes. "Thank you..."

"Not a problem," the doctor raised his sleeve up revealing the same type of tattoo Naruto had, "fellow escapee."


	4. Chapter 4

_"_ _Local, Late Breaking, Shocking. This is the Vale News Network, The VNN, reporting live from the lower district where a massive bust of The Torchwick gang has spurred controversy on how such a massive criminal syndicate could manifest in the lower districts and stretch to the upper districts. Some high-ranking officials inside The Vale Police Agency have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, emblazonment, and even one count of treason. There is no news of whom leaked the information, or if there ever was a whistleblower. Stay tuned for mor-…"_ A blast from Roman Torchwick sent the small television screen scattering around the area.

'It only took two months to destroy what it took four years to make, I knew that little bastard was a bad idea." Roman growled as he walked over to his men, which were very few.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, he looked around, before sighing. Rubbing his temple, he looked at photo wall he kept of all his underbosses, and men. Half of them had a red x over them. Sighing, he just leaned back in his chair, before looking around the dark warehouse that was his hideout.

Taking another deep breath, "well looks like you did it Sunny, ya beat me."

Roman couldn't help but chuckle, hell it turned into snickering as he just clutched his cane. That's when he heard footsteps, he studied the dark warehouse room, and saw a pair of yellow eyes staring back at him.

Tapping his cane, he turned towards the yellow eyes, "what in the hell do you want?"

* * *

A blonde hair boy was currently sleeping on a nice comfortable bed, his eyes fluttered open as he looked at the room around him. It's been a month since he moved into a friend's place, and this was after the legal battle to expunge is own record.

Funny how taking down, through photographic memory, a criminal enterprise made talks go smoother. However, all Naruto did was remember names Roman mentioned, and remembered faces that he would draw for the police.

They did all the work, they got most of the credit, but a part of him knew that Roman somewhere was probably sulking in his _defeat_. Defeat for Roman wasn't really a defeat, and Naruto knew that much, the man for his criminality was still industrious.

It'd only be a matter of time before he either regrew his empire or made it somewhere else. Roman _still_ had friends in high places, very high places that got off scot free. It worried Naruto, for his sake, and the sake of the friends he came to make out of this horrible situation.

The blonde slowly raised up, stretching as he got out of his bed, adorned only in orange boxers he walked over to a closet. Opening, it pulled out a blue shirt with a bunny pictured on the back, and a pair of tan cargo shorts.

A knock on his door alerted him, _"_ _come on Naruto mom is making breakfast."_

"I'll be down in a minute Sakura!" Naruto called out loud enough so she could hear him.

He walked over to the dresser, grabbing a belt, and belting his shorts so they could hold up better if he was to start running for any reason. The blonde ran fingers through his shaggy-spikey blonde hair, before smiling as he looked at a picture of his adoptive grandfather.

The blonde got done moving his hair behind his ears, before finally heading towards the door. The smell of fresh food was always a welcomed smell, and used-to-be rare commodity he'd only enjoy once a month.

Now, he got it every day, and he didn't know how to voice his opinion on it. In a way, he felt guilt, and he always reflected on the what ifs, and he couldn't help it. Watching the casket getting lowered, finally after two weeks, since his daughter finally came from Atlas.

They didn't part on friendly terms, since Naruto inherited his grandfather's effects, well what remained after Roman firebombed the house and orphanage. He thought Naruto would be inside of either one, but that only served to do three things.

One, at very least the children were evacuated safely, but had to be scattered about.

Two, cause Naruto to have severe first degree burns due to him rushing in and saving his grandfather's effects.

Three, only increase the manhunt, and of course he would be given the death penalty if he was ever caught.

All these things happened during three months, but things seemed to be turning around for at least the moment. Naruto smiled as he walked down stairs, finally feeling a peace that he rarely felt as a child, that was simply being a part of a family.

"Look, about time he showed." Kizashi spoke aloud as Naruto reached the kitchen, "what took ya so long lad?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his sheepishly as he gave a bit of a toothy smile, his fox ears twitched as he did, "sorry I was just getting ready."

"Heh, trying to impress girls?" Kizashi joked as he looked at Naruto, "because they don't really go for the scout type."

Sakura groaned, while Kizashi began laughing heartedly at the blonde's blushing while crossed his arms and sulked a little bit. He had just gotten these clothes the other day after doing some odd jobs, and watched as Mebuki rolled her eyes.

Mebuki walked behind her husband, punching him in the head, "idiot."

The punch wasn't too hard, but it still made the man hear a bell inside of his head as he was clutching a small lump forming that forming at the very top of his head. Naruto slightly chuckled at the sight, before Mebuki turned to him, and he went immediately silent.

Sighing, Mebuki made everyone's plate before taking a seat at her side of the table directly across from her husband. "So, anyone want to say morning prayer?"

"I'll do it mom." Sakura offered as she raised her hand up, she coughed to clear her throat.

"From darkness, all was given shape. From light, all was given life. In between the twilight, we'll all feast upon both with delight. May the brother Gods keep us safe, may their combined power keep us in living shape." Sakura spoke as the family put their hands together, all but Naruto had their eyes closed.

"Good prayer, good prayer, now dig in. You both must head into town, Naruto has some odd jobs to do in town at Cassardis. Apparently, Naruto's trying to get a job at the new noodle place in town, what was it dear?" Mebuki asked Naruto as she took a forkful of eggs into mouth.

Naruto wolfed down his eggs, before smiling. "Ichiraku."

"Mistral family, apparently, they're immigrating to Patch due to _"_ _Competition on the market"_ but as far I can tell they'd be fine here." Sakura chimed in as she too wolfed down her eggs.

"Hey, that's not exactly true, Teuichi said to me that it's just easier to get stuff here. Since Patch sits on a trade route between here and Mistral." Naruto also chimed in, "personally I think it's cool…regardless of the past I experience in Mistral they still served decent food."

Everyone frowned at Naruto's comment, "wh-what?"

"Still doesn't make it right Naruto, should I beat you because I feed you?" Kizashi questioned the blonde, who was lightly playing with fork.

Naruto sighed a little, "no sir."

"And, please, stop with that _sir_ stuff." Kizashi told Naruto as he crossed his arms and pouted his lips a little bit, "I'm not old yet."

"Honey, we're both in our forties, we're old as dust." Mebuki stated making her husband mutter as he sulked in his chair.

Sakura looked at Naruto who slightly smiled back at her, "so what's Sakura doing in town today?"

"Well, she's picking up a scroll for you." Naruto stopped eating at Mebuki's comment and they all swore they saw stars glowing in his eyes.

"A scroll?! Really, I never had a scroll before, how do they work…are they fragile?" Naruto spouted out as he grew excited, "but…don't they cost a lot of money?"

"Relax Naruto, besides isn't it your birthday coming up soon?" Mebuki questioned she began to dip her biscuits into the gravy.

"Umm…isn't it September?" Naruto inquired from Mebuki who only nodded in response.

Mebuki and Kizashi looked at each other, Kizashi finally speaking up, "and?"

"My birthday isn't until October…and besides, I actually was saving up money already." Naruto beamed at the end as he rubbed back of his head. "So…umm…umm…I-I, I just don't think I deserve it…"

The table stopped doing what they were doing, before Mebuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look kid, we get it. You've had to be independent for most of your life, this is probably the first time you've had a stable household environment. We're not offering the scroll because we don't think you deserve it, we think you'll be needing it."

Naruto sighed, before smiling, "thank you."

"Heh, don't thank us just yet brat." Mebuki took a spoonful of biscuits and gravy before quickly swallowing it, "you can thank us by doing good in life."

"Avoid the old ways young one, for it is a path of destruction." Kizashi sounded with a sagely tone as if was a preacher.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "really day, Ranger-One? Really, really?!"

The man threw his arms up in defense, "hey-hey-hey-hey! In my defense, you used to quote that movie too!"

Sakura blushed brightly before flames seem to form in her eyes, before she got up from the table, slamming her hand down. "Cha! That's not even funny dad, it was a phase!"

Kizashi did the same thing, "oi, a phase or not you still have a collectible Star Wing Fighter in your room!"

"Dad!" Sakura yelled blushing even more, "I don't have that anymore!"

"Yes you do…" Naruto chimed in with a mutter, making them both stare at him.

"And, you would know how?" Sakura incredulously questioned the blonde as she folded her arms.

"It's above your T.V, on the left side of your shelf by your collectable Pete The Rabbit Bowtie." Naruto answered with a smirk, "girly nerd."

Kizashi appeared beside Naruto, holding out his hand, a resounding slap could be heard as they clapped each other's hands. "Boom." Her father declared in victory, "even Naruto seen it!"

"B-but how?" Naruto interrupted Sakura by pointing at his head, "oh yeah…the photographic memory."

Sakura watched as Naruto finished his sausage quickly, before getting up from the chair. "Well think it's time we hit the dusty trail, got to get to Ichiraku before nine."

"Um Naruto," Sakura had a dark smirk come across her face, "you sure that photographic memory of yours is keen?"

"Kee-what now?" Naruto questioned before Sakura facepalmed herself.

She took a deep breath, "you know like really accurate, really effective? I mean if that is the case can't you remember the time?"

"Oh, yeah, it's great. I remember sitting down here it was…seven…thirty…" Naruto leaned a little to the right to see that it was now eight-forty.

"Gaaah!" Naruto screamed as he ran up the stairs and hopped down on foot as he started putting his socks on.

He was moving like a blue and yellow blur as he quickly slipped on his shoes by forcing his feet into them. The poor blonde rushed out the door before running back in and looked at Sakura. "What'ya waiting for?!"

"Go on ahead Naruto, besides she won't be leaving for a little bit now anyways." Mebuki waived him off as he growled before dashing back outside.

"You," Kizashi looked at Sakura, "that was a good prank."

The pink haired girl smiled as she pulled out her scroll, walking over to stove to change its clock to eight-ten, the correct time.

"You know, if he's going to join Signal next year dad as a fresh fish he should be able to tell time better. Qrow and Taiyang would be cool with it…. but, then there's Anko." Sakura pinched her nose, "and I thought Lee was annoying…along with Yang!"

"Hey, that's not nice to talk about your teacher like that." Mebuki pointed out making Sakura roll her eyes, "so are really getting him a scroll?"

"Yep," Kizashi answered, "besides the end of the academic year is in October. He can sign himself up, and if he wants the education he'll be working for it."

* * *

Naruto ran full speed along the road leading to Cassardis, the town coming into view as he continued his running. He used what little bit of aura training he had to improve his speed, and at this pace he'd be a _little_ late.

His fox ears flopped about as he ran, "cra-crap-crap-crap-wowahaow!"

Naruto jumped up, avoiding food cart as it was being pulled across the road. He landed, hard, tumbling in some leafs. Growling, he dusted himself of the foliage, before stretching as he walked towards Ichiraku.

The restaurant was by the road, having open view of the streets, and all the hallmarks of Mistral flare in its design. Walking over there, Naruto dipped under the covering, coming face-to-face over the counter to a brown eyed woman named Ayame, her long chestnut hair was tied into bun as she cooked the noodles while her father was busy maintaining the orders at the counter.

Her father had faded brown hair, and wore a white pure white uniform compared to his daughter's vibrant mix of yellow and light tan colored clothing. Her obi, a Mistralian clothed belt, was white as snow and tied into a small slipknot in the front.

"Ah, look I knew this kid was good, he's twenty minutes early!" Teuichi called out to his daughter, when Naruto nearly tripped as he looked at their clock.

It was _now_ Eight-forty, his right eye twitched, _"_ _Good one Sakura…good one."_

Suddenly he felt something his chest, looking down he caught some clothing, before Teuichi looked at him. "You'll be running orders today, full eight-hour shift, possible overtime."

Naruto smirked, as he put on the clothing, while he gave the man a two-finger salute. "You can count me in boss!"

* * *

Naruto huffed, puffed and nearly fell as sweat rolled off his head. The blonde had been running nonstop all day. In fact, it was now night, he'd been working twelve hours and had gotten about a thousand Lien. All of them yellow and red bills.

He was wearing a bonnet over his head, hiding his fox ears, felt a rather cool wind blow past him. Fall was coming, he could feel it in his bones, but also felt the first year of his training coming up. He may have been older than Sakura, but since he never had any formal training he'd have to start from the bottom.

He'd probably be one of the few straight civilian cadets coming into the primary school. The only benefit he had was that he has been getting some training with Sakura and Kizashi.

Mebuki had finally decided to live out her life as a housewife to a businessman, peace and tranquility.

He also had been given a pack containing fresh ramen, he intended to share with Sakura, of course when he added the Fire Stone Pepper. He may be kind, but he wasn't above payback, and this was the one time he'd been pranked three times in a row.

Hobbling along the street he stopped when he saw a girl with green hair sitting by the side of the road. Sighing, he walked towards her, she must've been a little older than him. Wearing a full white dress, and having dark red eyes that still seem to slightly glow in the dark.

"Um, miss, you okay?" Naruto questioned as he walked towards her.

"Oh!" the girl snapped out of her trance, just in time to look up at Naruto. "So-sorry am I in your way?"

"No…" Naruto deadpanned as he looked around, "are you lost?"

"Kind of, I was supposed to meet a friend out here…but I think she got lost as well." She rubbed the back of her head before her stomach grumbled.

Naruto pursed his lips, before smiling. "Hungry?"

"I could kill for food right now," Naruto stood there wide eyed at the comment, "I mean yes."

"Oookkaaay then," Naruto spoke and then sat down at the side of the road with her.

"I got Miso and Vegetable." Naruto stated as he plopped the backpack down.

The girl looked at him as if he had grown a second head, "of what?"

"Ramen." Naruto chimed in, "possibly the greatest thing on Remnant."

"Heh," the girl chuckled as she watched unbuckle the cover of the pack.

"Oh cool, the old man hooked me up. I got some Grape Soda, and Strawberry too!" Naruto commented as he got out both cans, setting them on the ground.

"Old man, like your father?" Naruto stopped as he chuckled a little bit.

He turned to her, before pointing at his bonnet, "nah I'm a server at Ichiraku. It's the Ramen place in Cassardis. The small town here in patch."

"Oh," the girl smiled, "that's cool."

"heh, they're nice people, anyway I never caught your name?" Naruto questioned.

The girl extended out her hand, "I'm Emerald, Emerald Sustrai."

"Uzumaki Naruto," the blonde smiled brightly, "soon to be expert Huntsman."


	5. Chapter 5

"Cha!"

"Hyaahh!"

Naruto and Sakura collided their right fists against each other, Sakura of course holding slightly back, but her friend wasn't as much. The blonde used his forearm covered in the orange aura to block a kick Sakura sent with the back of her right colliding against the limb.

Kizashi was standing to the side as he analyzed the children fighting, _"_ _Sakura's style is improving with her continued finesse. Naruto has become quite the fighter despite no formal training I've been giving my daughter. It seems he's been reading the books I let him borrow."_

Naruto jumped up, just head level to Sakura before cocking back his right leg and trying to kick her in the head. The pinkette easily block the kick, but watched as Naruto fell backwards and land on his hands. Much to her amazement, Naruto propelled himself from the ground with his arms before landing upright.

Getting into a boxer's stance, with his left hanging dominant, Naruto curled his fingers. "I'm not too bad Sakura, am I?"

"Oh you still suck," Sakura stated as she took her stance, "but on a scale of one-to-ten…I give you a two!"

Naruto dodged a couple of jabs from Sakura, before turned on his heel, attempting to knife hand on the back of her neck. Something he had seen in a movie, but when bent over forward Naruto missed widely, and was bend forward as well when he saw Sakura turning.

He nearly avoiding the reverse round house that directed at his head. However, with them both side to side, the blonde blocked a fist that Sakura attempted to send backwards into his face. He took a deep breath as pushed her arm off before jumping backwards.

 _"_ _She's not as fast as Naruto, but her ability to read Naruto's movement do my training plus my training on counter focused style of defense is chipping away at his stamina. His agility however is another ball game, he's dodging and at the very most blocking most of her attacks."_ Kizashi smirked, _"_ _but he still has a long way to go…I'll see how this plays out for ten more minutes."_

Naruto watched as an aura enveloped Sakura as she smirked, crashing her fist into her left open palm. "Alright then!"

Naruto ran as fast he could forward, he knew when she decided to start using more of aura that his chances laid within being on an offensive. Naruto blocked and deflected her first punch when he round housed her hand, falling into the momentum and going low on the ground. The blonde turned over, cocked his left leg back, and while propelling himself up with his hands he sent a kick angled up.

Sakura deflected the kick by sending it, along with Naruto, away from with a powerful swipe from her forearm.

The blonde tumbled on the ground a few feet before rolling himself to where he was on his knees. His top ears flickered when they caught the footsteps coming towards him, he got up quickly by getting into a crouch and then jumping up.

Narrowly avoiding a haymaker from Sakura.

Seeing his chance, the blonde cocked back his left leg before sending his foot into Sakura's back. She stumbled forward, only to catching herself, and looked behind her to see Naruto on all fours. Taking a moment, the blonde smirked as he wiped his nose with his thumb. "Heh, can I add one to make that a three?"

Sakura had a tick mark growing on her head, and jumped into the air, bringing leg down hard where Naruto had jumped backwards to avoid her, however she had kept track of his movement. Now sinking to his right knee to hold back the kick, Naruto failed to see her flipping backwards before crashing her right foot into his chin.

The force made go backwards onto the ground, and then he had to watch as Sakura grabbed him by the collar of blue shirt before cocking her hand back. "Submit!"

Naruto growled, before chuckling slightly, "fine…"

Getting off the ground, the blonde rubbed the back of his head. "Chalk down as another win for Haruno Sakura, Cha!"

Naruto chuckled a little bit, before turning to Kizashi. "How'd we do?"

"Heh, Sakura my dear." Sakura beamed a little, "you're going to need to work on your agility."

Her face fell flat a little bit, her left eye twitching.

"And, what about me?" Naruto questioned as he crossed his arms.

"On a scale of one-to-ten, four." Kizashi spoke as he raised his finger in the air, "however you must improve your strength so that way Sakura can't push you around in a straight on fight."

"Heh, still better than two out of ten, eh Sakura?" Naruto turned to her sticking his tongue.

"Whatever," Sakura muttered, "you got one week till you start anyway. Hey dad, isn't Naruto using a similar fighting style to mine?"

"Yes," he then looked at Naruto, "that's why he's losing."

"Eh?" Naruto stopped and looked at Kizashi.

"You see, you're using a variant of her techniques. Normally we'd focus on counter attacks and a more defensive posture. Didn't you notice how even though you're launching more attacks Sakura is still blocking them, that's The Turtle Fist. Yours is a similar style, but instead of being defensive, you're more aggressive." Kizashi pointed out, "I'm not saying your weaker Naruto…on the contrary you're closing in on Sakura. You're just brash, without plan, and you react based on what you feel instead of what you see."

"Yeah, like when you block my sledge kick, you were reacting to the kick and not focusing on me." Sakura chimed in, "if you had seen me lean back and start flipping backwards you could've either caught my fist or kicked up hitting me in the face."

"Don't take these as insults, merely learn from them." Kizashi instructed, "now as it stands…Sakura you're going with me into The Gray Forest. I'm going to test you against a Beowulf."

"Yes father, what about Naruto?" Sakura pointed out, "can he come."

"No, not yet." Kizashi answered as he looked at him, "you'll be going with Rock Lee when he gets here."

"Lee, cool!" Naruto pumped his arm, "so what am I doing with him?"

"Weight training, and he's going to be asking for food later…be courteous. Always make friends Naruto, because you don't know when you'll need them." Naruto nodded at Kizashi's words before watching him and Sakura start walking off.

Naruto sighed, stretching as he used some of aura he had remaining to heal the bruises and minor cuts from rocks. Sighing, the blonde pulled open his scroll before looking through it. "Banking Account Information he spoke."

 _"_ _Voice Recognition Accepted, pull up your bank balance from PBS. One moment please."_ The scroll beeped a few times, _"_ _your balance is three thousand-five hundred-seventy-four Lien, and sixty-two Trin."_

"Sweet, just got to make sure keep two thousand in for my initiation fee." Naruto spoke aloud as he noticed a friend of his enter the Haruno's makeshift arena.

The person in question was Emerald, her green hair blowing in the wind, she waived at Naruto who just casually waived back. "Yo Emerald."

"Yo Naruto," she walked over to him, "working hard or hardly working?"

"Both." Naruto answered as he rubbed the back of his head, "what brings you here?"

"My friend and I are going back to Vacuo tomorrow. Apparently, our business ended here today, so we'll be leaving soon." Emerald spoke as she sighed at the end, "it's a trader thing."

"Oh…" Naruto face fell slightly before he smiled, "well I got some weight training to do with my friend. Come along with me, and I'll treat you and Lee out."

"You sure?" Emerald asked as she had a slight blush, "I'll have to ask my friend if I can go."

"No problem, hey, here comes Lee!" Naruto announced as a boy clad in all green landed in the arena.

The boy wore a green training gi, with a pair of green pants. They were dark forest green in color, and fluttered in the wind, revealing weights just below their sleeves. He had a long red bandana on his head, within his gi was an undershirt of mesh.

On his back was a set of tonfa, weapons he had made the academy.

"Yosh, Naruto my youthful prospect, are you ready to pump some iron with me and Instructor Gai!" Lee called out loudly, and you would think for all his loudness a Beowulf would wonder here.

Naruto and Emerald looked at each other, "is he always like this?" she asked.

"Heh, yeah, but he'll get you pumped!" Naruto said as he looked at Lee, "ready when you are!"

"Yosh!" Lee yelled as he walked over to Naruto, "and hello Emerald."

"Huh, how do you know my name?" Emerald asked as she looked at Lee.

"Don't be stunned, Naruto talks about his friends during weight training. I heard about, you're very mean spirited from what he told me! Which leads me to ask if you'd be willing to come and join us on our glorious adventure to Hunter Hood!" Lee announced his question as if fireworks were going to go off behind him.

Emerald looked at Naruto, "he just asked me that…but sure, I'll go as a spot. Unfortunately I'm moving back to Vacuo starting tomorrow. Apparently, my friend got a job with someone there, and that it is too good to pass up."

"Well then, we should be off, our training will only take three hours." Lee stated as he started to run and Naruto began to walk with Emerald, "Uzumaki you better start running before I play with your ears like a cat toy!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he put his hands on his fox ears before running with Lee. Emerald followed shortly after, the trio ran across the dirt road as fast as possible.

* * *

 _"_ _I'm pumping irony, feeling strong against calamity, all I can say is that I'm full of insanity."_ A juke box blared in the small gym.

The gym entitled "Rocking and Running" was mostly empty save a man with a large bowl haircut, before them his duo of Hunters plus one. "Yosh!" Gai yelled as gave them a thumb up, "Lee you've brought yourself with your friend and his friend…it's a chain reaction my dear boy. We're all to show our youthfulness, fight like we're dreamers, and get Rocking and Running! Now what have you come here for!"

The juke box kept playing through his speech, making Lee shape his hair into the same bowl style as Gai. "Instructor Gai, we're here to do weight training!"

"Yosh!" Gai yelled as he walked over to dumbbell rack, grabbing forty-pound weight.

Lee walked up to him, taking his dumbbells, before Naruto came and took his. Emerald nervously rubbed the back of her head, before grabbing hers, but she struggled slightly. Getting back to where they were, Lee looked at them.

"Stand four feet apart!" He ordered, and Naruto quickly followed suite.

Emerald however, comically walked slowly with the weights.

"Okay, first off, the warm up. I want one hundred, per arm, dumbbell curls. Rapidly, as if you were running!" Gai yelled as he started, going fast as he kept in synch with the group.

Minus Emerald.

Naruto and Lee bother looked at each other before picking up the pace. The duos arms seem to become blurs as they competed against each other, with Lee of course dialing himself down for a fairer fight. The two easily completed their reps, watching Gai as he quickly flopped down.

"Alright, one hundred set ups!" Naruto and Lee both flopped down, starting to do their reps.

Emerald was out of breath on the one hundred curls, before she flopped down as well. The dup of Hunters in training completed their reps with a few minutes, before Lee got up just as Gai did. "Jumping Jacks!"

* * *

"Squats!"

Naruto and Lee bounced up and down while Emerald was wide eyed. She fell backwards as she finished the jumping jacks.

* * *

"Punching!"

Naruto and Lee shadow boxed as they tightly to the weights, both sweating as Naruto had thin veil of dark orange around. Lee having a thin coating of lime green.

Emerald, well Emerald just had sweat.

* * *

"Above the head thrusts!"

Naruto, Rock Lee, and Gai were going in synch as the trio counted out their numbers. Emerald, well she…well…she sort was laying on the ground with something akin to swirl in her eyes. "I think my blood sugar just fell through the floor." She muttered.

* * *

"Tug of war, Lee, Naruto, and Emerald vs. Me! You must put your weights into the pack and put it on your back!"

Naruto and Lee were giving it all they had, the rope was taught, stretching to its as far as the weaving would allow it. Emerald was stuck in the middle, being pulled back and forth. She had long given up trying to stand, and just allowed her to glide against the ground as the duo battled Gai.

luckily for Emerald, she had let go.

Lee, and Naruto were both sent flying across the room as Gai gave a mighty pull. "Victory!"

* * *

"Deadlift!"

Naruto was struggling to lift his five hundred pounds, his aura bounced all over his body, trying to collaborate to what he needed. Rock Lee was lifting his, not so light, seven hundred pounds. "One hundred reps, burn your soul, and let loose the flames of youth."

"I'mma bout to let loose my mind." Emerald muttered as she barely stood up.

"Thirty!" Naruto yelled as he tried to keep pace with Lee.

"Thirty-Five, thirty-six, thirty-seven!" Lee yelled as continued going.

Gai, well was Gai, and his deadlift for this face paced exercise would probably make any strong man lay their money down. After all, who the hell could one hundred reps with a thousand pounds?!

* * *

Three hours passed, Naruto was laying on the ground, the same look in his eyes as Emerald. Lee and Gai fist bumped while both huffed and took deep breaths of air. "Very good, very good!"

"Instructor Gai, I think we found new full time students!" Lee celebrated as they both look to Naruto and Emerald.

"Let's do cardio next!" Gai shouted in boisterous joy.

"Eh?!" They both raised up, before dashing for the door.

Both Emerald and Naruto got outside, both sliding down the door as they merely collapsed to their backsides. Naruto and Emerald looked at each other before laughing, though Naruto clutched his side, he must've torn a muscle.

Work was going to be hell tomorrow, praise it be to Sunday, which was a slow day.

"So, I'm a nope on the cardio." Naruto stated as he took deep breaths.

"You aren't kidding, when you said training, I thought something light." Emerald groaned as she felt something pop in her shoulder. "Not the slave driving they've done. I don't know how you're not dead yet!"

"Heh," Naruto gave her a thumb up, "call it my impeccable will to live!"

Emerald laughed that, before getting a frown on her face. "You know Naruto…this, maybe the last time we get to see each other today. This path month…it's been the best time of my life."

Naruto frowned, before sighing. "I guess your right…but, is this really what you want? Trading?"

"It's a profession my family has been involved with since I was little, when they both died…I got adopted by a longtime family friend of theirs. He's a nice guy…but overprotective of me, in fact he's watching us right now somewhere in that crowd." She muttered as she pointed towards the group of people.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto smiled as he grabbed her hand. He poked his head through the doors of the gym, "hey Lee hurry up we're going to grab a bite at Ichiraku!"

The blonde pulled himself from the door, smiling which caused a ding somewhere. Taking his hand even tighter they both jogged over to Ichiraku, where Naruto was the first to flip the covers away from the restaurant's top.

"Oh, hey Naruto!" Ayame said as she served her final customer for the moment.

"Hey Ayame, I got another friend coming, his name is Lee. Bowl haircut, when he gets here give him something high protein and put on my tab." Naruto quickly said as he took his seat, "as for me I'm wanting a _lot_ of ramen."

"Sure thing, what the maximum of your tab?" Ayame questioned as he scratched his chin.

Snapping his fingers, he smiled. "I think three hundred, it's still fifteen for a bowl, right?"

"You realize that's twenty bowls of Ramen, right?" Ayame questioned.

"Mhhmmm, but that's because me and Lee can easily down seven each, that leaves our other friend here. Oh, Ayame I almost forgot this is Emerald!" Naruto said with a bright smile as he pointed towards her. "It's her last day here on Patch."

"Really now?" Ayame got out her notepad, "trader's daughter?"

"No…more like adoptive niece." Emerald said with her dark skin glowing slightly with a blush around her face.

Ayame sighed, extending her hand out, "don't worry about being nervous girl. Naruto's just loud when he's happy, anyway you looked like you've been through a marathon.

"They've just came out of training!" Lee stated as he entered the restaurant. "and I nee-…"

"Something high in protein, yes, we get that. Come on, order seven bowls of something." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sakura and your father?" Emerald inquired as she crossed her arms.

Naruto blinked in confusion, before realizing something, "Oh…Oh! I never told you!"

"Told me what?" Emerald questioned.

The blonde smirked, "I'm a family of one with really good friends."

"So, that man, and Sakura aren't your family?" Emerald questioned once again as she was now interested in hearing about Naruto's life.

The blonde rubbed the back of his head, "it's a long story. When I was eight I was rescued by The White Fang and they brought to Vale. My grandfather, my adoptive grandfather was a contact of theirs and they decided to give me to him. Anyway, he…he…um."

"He what, left?" Emerald said as she looked at Naruto.

The blonde stopped for a second, before slowly pulling a picture out of his pocket. "Th-this is him…"

Emerald looked at the elderly man, flashing a peace sign with Naruto. "Is this at a rally or something?"

"Ye-yeah, a civil rights rally. That's when I first came to Vale…I…kind of grew to love and care for him as if he was family." Naruto muttered before giving a deep sigh, "he's…um…no longer with us."

Emerald looked at her friend with frown, she watched as a single tear dropped from his eye. Shaking his head, she then heard a chuckle from Lee as he was talking to another girl with long blonde hair. "It's just, I wish he'd been here, to see me…happy."

Their food got served up a few moments after he had said that, he then looked. The first bowl was always the best one, so was the last. However, the memories he starting having just made him slowly lose his appetite.

"Ayame…" Naruto called and watched as the waitress walked over to him.

She had a concern look on her face, "what's wrong?"

"I'm just going to eat one bowl." Naruto told her as he looked towards Lee, "give him the rest of mine."

"Sure?" Ayame asked.

"Positive." Naruto answered as he tried to break a smile, but failed.

Naruto looked at Emerald, before smiling slightly.

* * *

An hour must have gone by, Naruto's silence made Emerald concern as they both walked towards where her friend was staying. She then noted the way Naruto's fox ears sat, almost as if they could indicate the whirlwind of emotion he was feeling.

When they reached the inn, Naruto looked at Emerald, before smiling. She then got wrapped up in a hug, the green haired girl didn't understand why, but the blonde had just suddenly decided to hug her. The boy let go after a moment, before smiling.

"Emerald," he stuck out his hand, "thank you?"

"For what, I…made you depressed didn't I." Emerald spoke as she looked at Naruto.

"No…you just made me remember, good times and bad times. They're all like people, you'll always remember bad ones…and you'll always remember good ones." Naruto said as he wiped a couple of tears away, "I just…got to remembering a promise I made to my grandfather…that's all."

Emerald looked at him, "what was that promise?"

"To never go back on my word," Naruto stated proudly as he seemed to have fallen into a base emotion of being somewhere between happy and sad. He then looked at her, before smiling. "I promise you this Emerald…I'll meet you again and that's my word!"

Emerald blushed a little bit more, _"_ _is he trying to be friendly at times or flirt…I can never tell."_

Naruto smiled, before a few more tears dropped down his face. "I just wished you'd got to stay."

Emerald whimpered slightly, before then smiling herself. "I do too…and Naruto I'll keep my word we'll meet again one day."

"I guess…this is goodbye?" Naruto questioned as he sighed.

Emerald smiled before lightly on the arm, "no! More like "I'll see you later" Naruto. Do me one tinsy little favor though."

"And that's?" Naruto was stopped when Emerald hugged him.

"Don't give up on your dreams." Emerald spoke as she tighter the hug, slightly crushing Naruto whose sore arms began burning in pain again.

Naruto smiled, "I'll never give up…because that's my word Emerald."

"A Hunter's Promise."


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto was currently sitting in class; six months have passed since Emerald had left Patch. Here he was, with Sakura, and Lee in his last period class of the day. The blonde was struggling, History was not his strong suit, sighing he just looked to see Sakura dutifully doing her work.

In could find relation with Rock Lee, the extraordinary physical powerhouse of Signal…but lacked just like him on the brain side of things when it came to books. When the bell finally ringed, the blonde almost wanted to shout for joy.

Professor Iruka's classes always bored him, he much rather have Qrow's combat class all day. The blonde would even settle Trap Making with Anko. Which, surprisingly was his other strong suite. Sighing, he got up, and stretched as the others left.

"Uzumaki," Iruka called out while Naruto began walking towards the only to stop mid stride, "come here please."

Sighing, the blonde slowly walked towards Iruka, "Sup teach?"

"Not your grade for my History Class that's for sure..." Iruka sighed as he rolled his eyes, "listen Uzumaki you need to buckle down here. You may be an excellent fighter but all brawn and no brains gets you killed quickly."

"Well honestly Mr. Umino, I just find history…boring." Naruto commented while he sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Gah?!" Iruka gasped as he heard Naruto, "bor-boring?!"

"Uh huh," Naruto nodded before crossing his arms, "I mean I just can't sit still. Plus, there not as exciting as the material from Trap Making."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, "Naruto history is made to teach us the past, where we came from as Hunters and Huntresses. If you miss the reason _why_ you never find your resolve."

"Well if it makes you feel better," Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "I suck at Range Class…I can't hit the broadside of a barn."

"Yes well, that's why there's combat class so that you specialize in melee, but in all seriousness Naruto…you need to buckle down." Iruka crossed his arms, "you're hanging on a very low D in my class…and at an F I'll have to force you to shall we say _hang out_ a little more."

Naruto eyes widened a little, actually a bit, "De-detention?!"

"Mmmhmm," Iruka hummed as he snickered, "besides Naruto in history we find our calling…a dream."

"Well," Naruto scratched the back of his head, "I kind of understand…I mean I got a dream."

"Oh, and that is?" Naruto smiled at that.

"I'm going to stop The Grimm and bring this world it's peace!" Naruto declared as he pumped his right fist, "and I'll do it even if it kills me!"

"Uh…Naruto…" Iruka began to point out, "how…would you bring peace if you're pushing daisies?"

The blonde could have sworn that he had heard a large bell somewhere as his spirits immediately sunk. "jeez…um thanks Mr. Umino, good way to turn my epic declaration on its head."

The man just chuckled as he rubbed the back of his spiky ponytail. "Well Naruto, to beat The Grimm, you're going to need their history." Iruka spoke with a finger pointing at Naruto, "just like we'll be teaching about you if you're ever successful."

"Fine…" Naruto groaned as he smiled at him before holding out his fist, "I'll give a Hunter's Promise that I'll improve."

"You better," Iruka told him as he bumped his fist, "or I'll personally tutor you with a book and detention."

"Eh-heh, you got to catch me first." Naruto joked as he began walking out of the class.

* * *

The blonde stretched as he held an old rusty steak knife in his hand, he was laying on a small wooden table inside of Kizashi's shop inside of their house. "So, Naruto, thought of a weapon yet?"

"Eh…" Naruto threw the knife at an old decrypted dart board and hit bullseye with the knife perfectly hitting the black dot. "Not really, I'm complete garbage with guns. I may just use my fists."

"Well, you can, but then what about Grimm with armor?" Kizashi inquired as he tuned his weapon, with him reattaching bolts into it.

Naruto smirked, raising up and slammed his right fist into his left open palm, "then I'll just hit them harder!"

Kizashi looked at him, snickering slightly _, "and I thought me and Mebuki just had a single daughter."_

"Well you could always use knives," Kizashi pointed out, "you're actually a natural at throwing them."

"Comes with the former trade, _Roman_ was butt nugget don't get me wrong, but he at least taught me how to use a knife in case I ever needed it." Naruto commented as spat the man's name out with disgust, "you could it's the one thing he left me…besides a scar on my back from when he whipped me."

"Also, the small faded one on your head," Kizashi once again pointed out. "Though for the life of me I thought that cane you told me he had would've broke after the first swing."

"Eh, why's that?" Naruto asked as he picked at his ears with his pinky on either hand interchangeably between his human ears and his fox ears.

"Because, like Lee, you're headstrong enough to break metal." Kizashi finished tinkering with his weapon, before smiling as he raised his halberd in its melee form up to test the weight.

Naruto looked at the weapon, smiling, "done?"

"Yep," Kizashi spun it around a couple of times, the wider than normal staffing part bent forward and transformed it into its shotgun mode with the tip of the halberd opening.

"So," Kizashi walked over and took the knife the dartboard and handed it back to Naruto, "what's the problem with knives?"

"Too quote my Instructor Iruka _"_ _Naruto knives are too limited in number, whereas a clip can hold fifteen rounds in a pistol. Such backwards methods would only hamper in a fight and blah-blah-blaaah._ " Naruto spoke in a mocked version of Iruka's voice, "and that's when I failed the gun range for that day with Taiyang drilling me."

"Meh, Taiyang just wants your best, as he expects of everyone including his eldest daughter." Kizashi stated as he placed his weapon on a rack.

"Oh, yeah, Yang!" Uzumaki drawled as he tossed the knife into the dartboard dead center once more, "she's awesome but she gets way too serious in a sparring match."

"Heh, you're one too talk, last time I checked your now dead even with Sakura in combat terms." Kizashi told him as he sat in a chair next to the table, "so little miss Xiao shouldn't be a problem."

"Semblance says otherwise," Naruto told him as he crossed his arms, "speaking of which I'm still wondering why mine hasn't activated yet."

"It takes time, Mebuki didn't activate hers until she was a junior…in Beacon. You're almost done with your first year anyhow, plus who knows, it could *pop* pop up." Kizashi clicked his tongue as he spoke, "just like Sakura's ability to heal herself and others."

Naruto moved around his arm a little, "yeah…when I fell and broke my arm."

"Should've been more careful hiking with us, your first Beowulf hunt didn't exactly go well huh?" Kizashi jabbed at Naruto who just smirked.

Naruto rolling his eyes, "oh and like Sakura's face going into bear dung was any better?"

"Touché." Kizashi rubbed his chin, "but we didn't have to cancel our hunting trip for anything medical."

"Semantics!" Naruto argued while sighing and throwing the knife back into the old dart board, "besides I'm all better and I am going to begin thinking of a melee weapon."

"You're going melee as well?" Kizashi inquired.

"Yeah," Naruto stated as he rubbed the back of his head, "range isn't my strong suite. I'm fast enough to where Sakura can't keep up much in a drawn-out brawl. Plus, from I've seen and heard, Grimm aren't exactly hitting the treadmill."

"No," Kizashi drawled as he rolled his eyes, "but still melee isn't going to get you anywhere if you solely rely upon it."

"Hmm," Naruto grunted as he looked at Kizashi, "wonder if I can build something that I can throw…"

"Oh brother Gods, you're dead set on this!" Kizashi threw his hands up in the air.

"And?" Naruto sat in a lotus on the table, "besides I sort of…been designing something in my head for a little bit."

Kizashi looked at him, "does it have something to do with melee?"

"Yeah, and no." Naruto stated as he rubbed the back of his head.

Looking at the knife on the dart board, the blonde smiled as he had a lightbulb appear above his head. "I just need something like a knife. However, it'll have to be thicker on the bladed in, I was thinking something like chisel."

"A…chisel?" Kizashi questioned the boy's sanity at this point.

"No-no-no, it'll be a knife, but it's going to be like in a diamond shape." Naruto stated as he tried to explain his idea, "it's like what Mistralian farmers use…ah…I actually used one when I was a slave…."

"A kunai?" Kizashi told Naruto with a hint of question.

"Y-yeah, but instead of it being solid in the middle, it'll be hollow. I can load dust crystals into it, you know make it erupt in flames, blast people away with wind, electrify it, etcetera-etcetera" Naruto explained as he thought about it.

"Well, it's a good idea…however, you'd be needing to make more every now and then." Kizashi reasoned as he rubbed his chin.

"Yeah, well…" Naruto sighed as he thought more about it, "I guess I can get me a sword or something for when I run out and need a backup weapon."

"Least you're now thinking about midrange combat," Kizashi pinched the bridge of his nose, "guess that could work out."

"Cool," Naruto jumped up and promptly his head on the light fixture, "ow!"

"Heh." Kizashi chuckled.

* * *

Naruto stood away from a painted tree, which was painted much like a dartboard. Cocking his right back, where he held the first of his many kunai, Naruto gave it throw. The blade soared into the outer ring, hitting the tree with a thunk.

The blonde was wearing cargo pants, but instead of a belt holding them he had jury-rigged several large pouches' strings to form the belt as well as his ammunition carriers. Inside each pouch the blonde had exactly five kunai.

With five pouches, the blonde had a grand total of twenty-five kunai.

"Hah!" Naruto yelled as he threw another kunai, it soared as it nearly hit dead center.

He had been at this for hours today, for the last three weeks since making them with the help of Kizashi. His orange overcoat fluttered and flapped in the wind as cocked his arm back once more. "Ya!" the blonde sounded as a kunai flew into center mass of the target.

"Alright," Naruto muttered as he walked up to the tree and began to pull out the kunai he had just thrown, "that's about seventy percent."

"Sixty-five actually," Kizashi stated, "not bad…but not good."

Rolling his eyes, the blonde pulled the last kunai, and pocketed it. Stretching, he had just noticed the sun had been barely hanging in the skies. The skies were lit a mix of orange and pink colors from the setting sun, creating a sort of watercolor portrait.

"Aww," Naruto took a deep breath as he relaxed.

"Tired?" Kizashi walked up to Naruto and lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Not gonna lie, the last few days of designing these weapons and testing them made me restless." Naruto told Kizashi, "but thanks again…It's another thing I owe you all."

"I'll just put on your tab." Kizashi stated as he chuckled.

Naruto chuckled as well, before both laughed, and began walking back to the house. "Wonder what mo-Mebuki has cooking." Naruto corrected himself and his demeanor slightly changed to that of nervousness while Kizashi looked at him.

"Naruto…" he looked at the boy, "if you want to call us mom and dad it's not weird."

"It's just…" Naruto sighed as he looked at the man that has been taking care of him for almost a year now. "I don't think my parents are dead."

"What makes you say that?" Kizashi questioned while the blonde clutched his chest.

"Something in my heart, I keep having a dream, about my mother…I vaguely remember her. We got separated when I was way young…way too young to remember her name." Naruto said as he stopped, "she…she had long red hair."

"What's wrong," Kizashi looked at Naruto who just stood there. "Naruto?"

"Nothing…I just…remembered her is all. She had blue eyes too, I think I'd keep her away from Taiyang." Naruto joked trying to break the somber mood.

The joke worked well, Kizashi laughed hard as he looked at Naruto. "You've got that right. The man has two kids and still is a flirt."

"Yeah," Naruto muttered as he looked up into the sky, _"_ _who am I?"_

* * *

Waves crashed against a shoreline, a redhead woman stood there while clutching a toddler's hand in her own. She had her blue eyes trained on a ship as it neared a port. "Naruto daddy's going to be home soon."

"Dada?" the blonde toddler questioned as he looked over the shoreline.

"Kushina!" the woman turned around, seeing a raven-haired woman walk towards her.

"Oh, hey, don't tell me they need me back now. Minato is getting ready to pull into port, he's been gone to the inner continents for a while now." Kushina complained as he picked up her child.

"Unfortunately, however if it's okay, I can sit here with your child so the father can have his spawn when he pulls into port." The raven-haired woman offered as she crossed her arms, "if he doesn't mind."

Burying his face into his mother, child whimpered and complained. Kushina rolled her eyes, "I don't think that's a good idea. Naruto here is still a mama's boy, I doubt he'd sit still long enough to keep from teething on you or keep you sane."

"As you wish, I guess I'll collect Lord Minato then." The woman said as she brushed past Kushina.

Kushina looked right at her child, "you're devious you know that."

The woman's eyes glinted in the sun, _"_ _but that's why you're my baby boy."_

 _"_ _That's why you're my baby boy…."_

* * *

Naruto shot up from his bed, sweat rolled off his body as he looked around his room. It was four o'clock in the morning, making him facepalm himself as he looked his room. He just had another dream, a vivid one at that, his body shook.

He swore he could feel the warm breeze of the winds from the shore whipping against him. Something that persisted for a very long time, even after being taken away from his family. The blonde couldn't put it past himself to just take anything without a grain of salt.

Maybe this vivid dream was nothing but a dream?

Walking into the hallway, he came to the bathroom, with the intention to urinate. Sighing, the blonde walked by a mirror. Noticing something, he walked backwards, and looked at himself. Taking fully into account what he looked like, how he sounded with his breathing.

For the first time, in quite a while, Naruto wondered who he really was.

He also noticed the faint traces of red hair inside of his bangs, he touched his bangs, before feeling something of a warmth come around him. Slowly, but surely, the warmth grew as small amounts of tears fell from his eyes.

"Mom…" Naruto muttered, "are you here?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Ya!" Emerald yelled as her horse galloped across the desert.

Besides her another green haired girl, with orange eyes instead of dark red, and slightly brighter green hair rode a horse besides her. "Fu, how much further?"

"Don't know," Fu called out from her horse as they raced through the desert, "behind them was a group of Grimm closing in, "damn those Centaurs don't give in!"

Centaurs, horse like Grimm that had a pair of hands on their backs, the hands can grab many people before they'd eat them. Vacuo was their common habitat, open desert, and without a need of water they're excellent for the environment.

In fact, Grimm never needed water to survive, just like they didn't need human flesh, but they'd do so anyway. Either for pleasure, or animalistic instinct no could say, but Grimm still consumed food. It was just unfortunate that a lot of the food they enjoyed was usually apart of the human body.

Unless you're a Faunas, then they'd enjoy whatever was in addition to the human body when it came to you.

"They're gaining!" Emerald yelled. The thirteen-year-old attempted to make her horse go faster, "at this rate we'll be dead!"

Fu, the bright orange eyed youth that was slightly younger, just turned to her and looked about. "I don't know about that, there is a huge sandstorm coming!"

"Wait, what?!" Emerald yelled as the sudden storm erupted from nowhere, _"_ _that wasn't there a second go…oh man please don't be a giant Grimm!"_

As the sandstorm blew over them, the two girls watched as the storm consumed the centaurs as well. However, the screaming of Grimm and a large shadow appearing where they had been made both Emerald and Fu look on as the tall figure just seem to melt back into the sand.

"What the hell was that?!" Emerald screamed as their horses made it past the storm.

"I don't know!" Fu yelled as she stopped her horse and Emerald followed suite, "whatever happened…those Grimm are gone."

"Yeah…" Emerald sighed in relieve, before noticing something near her horse. "Holy crap…look at this!"

Fu looked down, noticing giant footprints, and trail from a large tail being dragged was present in the sand. Albeit, the sand was quickly covering it up, Fu sighed before smiling. "It must've been a guardian!"

"A guardian?" Emerald questioned as she slowly relaxed, "you mean like a spirit?"

"Yep," Fu chimed, "they're usually much smaller though. However, when I get to Vacuo I'll be praying in thanks to whatever saved us., because holy crap that was close."

"You're telling me!" Emerald laughed as she, "Cinder is going to freak when she hears about this. Besides, she'll be glad that we secured that trade deal back in Aneesa!"

"Yep!" Fu stated, "so should we get back to Vacuo before we get double training duty?"

"I think that'd be wise! My uncle may be freaking out by now, we're supposed to have been already back!" Emerald stated as she made her horse move towards a large walled city in the distance.

"Yeah, ya!" Fu yelled to her horse, which made began to move towards the city in unison with Emerald's.

* * *

Naruto was eating a bowl of ramen with Lee, and Sakura. "Ah…this is the food of Gods."

"You seem to enjoy my cooking more each day Naruto," Ayame chimed as she made another bowl, "Why is that?"

"Don't ya know, you're the bomb!" Naruto told Ayame as he smiled bright, "besides I needed this."

"Naruto passed his exams, for once, in History this week. Lee here got held back a year though." Sakura stated as she finished her bowl.

"Unfortunately, but Bushy Brow here is more than capable in a fight…I don't think anyone in Signal can beat him. Especially _Yang_!" Naruto gritted his teeth at the name with fire in his eyes.

"Quick question Naruto, why do you hate Yang so much?" Lee inquired as he slurped down his noodles.

"I don't, I just have rivalry going on with her." Sakura spit out her drink in the declaration made by Naruto, "what?!"

"You idiot you're supposed to be my rival!" Sakura yelled at Naruto, "I'm still winning last time I checked."

"Heh, not for long, besides Sakura she's the only other blonde in Signal. Can't we just have more fun by fighting each other, instead of being buddy-buddy because of hair?" Naruto inquired as he had another bowl brought to him, "besides she has a similar fighting style to you anyway."

"And?" Sakura questioned as she crossed her arms.

"She's a lot better at keeping up with me in the long run." Naruto merely stated before having his head punched by Sakura, "ow!"

"It's what you get!" Sakura yelled before looking away and crossing her arms, "if she's so much better than me you should train with her."

"Well excuse me," Naruto argued as he rubbed the sore growing on his head, "but I just think she's more ferocious."

"I think Naruto has a point Sakura," Lee agreed as he got his third bowl, "in your spars with Naruto you're being cautious against him. You're still the better fighter without a doubt, more trained and precise, you just lack the stamina that Naruto has."

"Oh…" Sakura figured out as she rubbed the back of her head, "sorry…thought you meant she was fully better than me."

"Well…at least she gives me a warning before punching me." Naruto joked as he rubbed the sore, "besides the point…has anyone seen Yang?"

"No, you Lee?" Sakura asked as she looked her friend.

"Now that you mention it, despite being like Naruto, she never really skips class." Lee said as he stopped eating, "and she hasn't said anything about skipping class."

"Hey, I only skip one class and that's the range!" Naruto argued as he crossed his arms, "besides not my fault they can't see my kunai are legitimate ranged weapons."

"Oh brother…here we go again, it's almost Winter's end Naruto, you've been going on with this all Winter." Sakura complained as she pinched her nose, "just pick up a pistol and learn to shoot."

"Nope," Naruto merely crossed his arms, "if I put in the effort to make something like my kunai then by Gods I'll be using them more than a damn pistol."

"Language." Ayame stated over her shoulder before sighing and walking over to him, "here's the bill by the way."

"Thank you!" Sakura plucked it away from Naruto's hands, "I got this."

"Eh?" Lee and Naruto looked at her.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, I forgot to give you a birthday gift after all Lee." Sakura smiled before paying for the food.

"Well…I guess that's fine." Naruto said as he sighed, "I guess I should be getting Sakura home."

"Right, Instructor Gai and I were also going for a late day run." Lee stated while a fire burn inside of his eyes, "and I told him if I couldn't beat him I'd do four hundred pushups."

 _"_ _I just had a thought, why doesn't Lee just try to make The Grimm exercise with him? They'd all die out from exhaustion."_ Naruto deadpanned in his head, "Oookay then."

Naruto and Sakura were walking through Cassardis as the sun hanged low into the sky, "so Sakura, why has Kizashi been sending us out a lot lately?"

"Dunno," Sakura shrugged, "but I'm not complaining."

"Hear that, Teuichi gave me the week off from work as well, I think for once I don't have anything to do." Naruto told Sakura before he frowned, "no…still got homework."

"You can get that done today." Sakura said as she saw the calculating look Naruto's face.

"Eh," Naruto bopped his head side-to-side a little bit, "maybe…It's Saturday."

"You're hopeless no wonder you're barely passing several classes," Sakura admonished as she crossed her arms, "you know…Anko threatened me to drag you to the range."

Naruto stopped in his tracks, a fear swept over him, "A-Anko?"

"Mmhmm," Sakura hummed as she looked at the fear stricken Naruto, "she said she'd be on your case like Bees to honey if you didn't come to class Monday."

"Great…" Naruto drawled as he rolled his eyes, "eh?"

They both stopped, seeing their teacher Taiyang running back and forth across the street. "Isn't that Taiyang?" Naruto asked as he saw the fellow blonde and blue eyed man run back across the street, "he's freaking out about something."

"You go ahead and waste time," Sakura stated as she walked off, "when you get home I'm making you do your homework…or I'll take your secret stash away."

"Eh?! Don't touch my special ordered _books_ Sakura, Sakura?!" Naruto yelled as she just walked off, _"_ _please don't!"_

Sighing in defeat Naruto just walked over towards Taiyang, the man was in tears, but Naruto knew Taiyang to be slightly eccentric about things. It was one of the reasons why Naruto enjoyed the man's classes, and one of the reasons why besides Iruka he respected Taiyang more than the average teacher in Signal.

"Oi, Instructor Long!" Naruto called out as the man passed him, the man stopped before backpaddling towards him.

"Naruto, have you seen Yang…Ruby?" Taiyang questioned as the man shook.

"No," Naruto answered, "what's wrong...and where is Rubes at? She's usually with you."

"That's why I asked you dumbass!" Taiyang yelled at him, a brief pause insured before the man sighed. "I'm sorry…it's just that, Yang went missing since last night. I assumed she skipped school to hang out by the docks with her friends."

"Oh," Naruto suddenly got a worried look on his face, "yeah…now that you mention her friends have been running around her lately too."

"Naruto…please, listen to me. I need your help to find them, Yang can handle herself sure…but Ruby." Taiyang suddenly grew worried over his youngest daughter, "can you help me in anyway?"

"Sure!" Naruto stated, "I can run along the outside of the town."

"Good, here's my scroll number, please call it if you find them. Don't wonder too deep into the forest, I have Qrow looking there now." Taiyang said as he hastily written his scroll number, "and this also has Qrow's number."

"Thanks," Naruto quickly entered the number and put them to a speed dial number. "If I run into leads or problems I'll let you know."

Naruto began to dash off, "Naruto…please be careful."

"Roger that Mr. Long!" Naruto realized what he said, and chuckled as he ran down the street.

* * *

A half hour later, Naruto had been dashing around the entire town, before coming upon a man broke down in the middle of a road. His wagon had been banged up bad, and he looked at Naruto. Running over to him, the man just looked at Naruto.

"Kid, have you seen a blonde hair girl and a mix anywhere?" The man questioned.

"No, did Taiyang get to you as well?" Naruto questioned as he looked around while talking.

He had called Sakura, Lee, and their acquaintances to help in the search.

"Tai-who?" The wagon bearer questioned, "no. I'm looking for two brats that decided to hitch a ride on my wagon when I was outside this little hamlet. I've been checking inventory ever since getting into town."

"Where?" Naruto merely stated.

"A few miles outside Cassardis." The man answered, "near Shadow River."

"What color were their eyes, and who looked older?" Naruto continued his questioning.

"Silver, and lilac. The blonde was much older than the mix haired girl. Why?" The man questioned before having Naruto shake his hands before backing off.

Naruto hands clutched, "thanks you've been a big help!"

The man was about to say something when Naruto took off dashing, and began to put Sakura, Lee, and Taiyang on a group call since he couldn't get ahold of Qrow. The phone ringed, and ringed a few more times, before finally Taiyang answered.

 _"_ _Hello?"_ Taiyang called out first.

"Yeah, Mr. Xiao-Long, it's me Naruto. I just found a guy who said a couple of girls fitting Yang and Ruby's descriptions hitched a ride on his cart. They were last seen near Shadow River." Naruto stated as he ran fast towards The Southern Wall.

 _"_ _Shadow River…and how long ago was this?"_ Taiyang questioned.

Naruto stopped, "I forgot to ask…"

 _"_ _Idiot…never mind it's the best we got. It'll put them ten miles away from Cassardis. In a circle, and even further if they walked straight."_ Taiyang reasoned, " _I got a Leo search squad going up in an hour."_

"An hour?!" Naruto stated, "but they'll be further away…Mr. Xiao-Long…I'm going in the forest to help Qrow."

"Naruto, don't you dare, there is a blood moon tonight. Grimm get restless on a blood moon!" Taiyang yelled only to have the scroll click.

The blonde had hung up on Taiyang, who would obliviously continue to yell. Naruto wasn't proud of it, but he had to bring out an old set of skills he had as a fisher for Roman. Stealth and speed. Right now, Taiyang yelling at him would be distracting, he was sure however all the other instructors were in the forest as well.

* * *

Nearing the Southern Gate, the blonde took a moment to look at the dark gray trees in front of him. Shaking slightly, he swallowed his fear as he checked his pouches. Counting the number of kunai, he had, which was the full twenty-five.

Sighing, he checked his pocket, feeling three dust crystals inside of it. Crystals that Sakura had gotten from Lee, and Naruto had gotten from her. Taking a second to pray, the blonde gathered his nerves and began to dash into the forest.

Running fast enough to have his hands behind his back.

* * *

Yang had her little sister on her back as they wondered through the forest, "Yang…how much further…dad's probably mad at us."

"Ruby, just a little further, and we'll get to see mom I promise." Yang said to the soon to be eleven-year-old.

"Yang…I'm scared." Ruby commented as she laid her head against Yang's shoulder and whimpered, "I'm really-really scared."

"Okay Ruby, I know, but don't worry I took down that Beowulf earlier." Yang gave her sister a classic smile, "we'll be fine."

They both continued to walk, before coming to an old tree. Yang had several cuts along her body, some bleeding a little bit, but she just pressed on. Her aura was slowly restoring, it wouldn't be long before it did.

Snow had begun to fall, white flakes of purity giving false light to bleak forest around them. "Yang…I'm cold."

Yang clutched her sister a little closer, before they both took a seat by the tree. Yang nestled her sister closer to her. The blonde looked at her, before giving a frown. She should've never brought Ruby along with her, despite the girl insisting that Yang's mom would be her mom too since her mom treated Yang as such.

They were both naïve, Ruby for pushing to go, and Yang for going at all.

Then something hit her, she shook as it did, when her father told her that Summer wasn't her mother. Suddenly Yang for all her rashness took to a reasoning that she didn't want to believe, what if her mother was already dead…what if her mother didn't want her.

This made her sulk as she just clutched her sister, she should've been just happy to have her small family with her sister and father. She knew about Lee not having anyone and being adopted by Gai despite telling no one save her.

She really liked Lee, he had moxie just like her.

Looking to her baby sister, she gave her a sad smile, she had been very brave to push herself to come with Yang. They were both hurting deeply inside, the duo clutched each other, before Yang watch the moon breach the horizon's mountains.

Yang's eyes narrowed as the moon slowly turned a pinkish red as it slowly rose more and more through the sky. For once, she prayed that whoever was out there would make sure she and her sister would make it out alive.

She had forgotten the blood moon, how foolish of her.

She felt something wet roll down her face, wiping it off, she saw that it was melted snowflake…yeah, she could go with that. Shaking, more melted snowflakes dropped down, before she knew it she was silently sobbing as she thought about the mother that always took care of her and Ruby.

Summer.

Summer Rose, and Ruby's surname's namesake. Super mom, none of these could ever describe the compassionate bad ass that was Summer to Yang. The blonde whimpered herself, before looking at her sister, _"_ _I brought her out here…mom…I'm sorry!"_

Yang hid her lilac eyes, not wanting to have Ruby see her cry from them. She was supposed to be the tough sister, not the crybaby. She half expected to have a Beowulf descend upon them now, the amount of sadness and despair she was displaying must've been a beacon to them.

The cracking of branches, under the now dark night sky, made her look up to see someone coming. She noticed blonde hair, blue eyes, and thought it was her dad for a moment before noticing it was a classmate of hers.

"Yang, Ruby!" Naruto screamed as he nearly ran past them, before noticing the oddly colored branches on a tree.

"Hey…Naruto…" Yang said as she finished wiping her tears away, "Ruby's asleep."

Naruto looked at the mix haired girl dressed in red near Yang, before looking at Yang and sighing. "Mind if I take a seat too…I just got done taking down a Beowulf."

"I guess you could…" Yang muttered dejectedly as Naruto and took a seat by her.

The blood moon was now high in the sky, giving both blondes hair a red hue over them, with both looking like oranges. Slowly take a deep breath, Naruto looked at Ruby and Yang, noting their physical condition of ripped clothing and a few scratches.

Sighing, Naruto merely placed both of his hands on them, before Yang could protest she felt a rush aura enter them. The blonde quickly withdrew his hands, "it'll take me a half hour to recharge…so let's talk."

"Huh?" Yang muttered while looking at the younger boy, "what do you mean talk…we just went out for a walk…and got lost."

"Bull crap Yang," Naruto glared at her, "you put yourselves at risk for just a walk?"

"We're blonde Naruto, we do stupid things." Yang muttered in an attempted joke, "it's what we do best…stupid things."

"Heh," Naruto chuckled as he put his hands behind his head, "then I'll guess I'll stay here…by this old tree then."

"That's stupid Naruto…you could run back to the others and get us a way out." Yang noticed the sheepish grin on the blonde's face as he scratched back of his head, "you got lost too…didn't you?"

"Yep," Naruto muttered as he slowly had a smile form on his lips, "Lee is worried about you guys."

"Lee…" Yang mumbled, "is he mad?"

"Oh, he is pissed." Naruto chuckled. "you left him out of your grand escape from class…how could you."

"This isn't funny Naruto…I screwed up big time, and now we're like a beacon to The Grimm in the area. You're out of aura, I'm nearly out, and Ruby…Ruby can't defend herself." Yang took the situation in audible form.

"And your father is probably cussing me out for coming out here…now there are _three_ lost kids in The Gray Forest." Naruto said to Yang, "and both older ones are blonde…and hardheaded."

"Will you just stop…stop smiling, and stop being stupid." Yang growled, "stop taking things so lightly."

"You can only go through the grove slowly to observe dragonflies, run through…you'll only notice the flies." Naruto spoke to her, "it's something my grandfather said to me…it means to just take things slowly and enjoy life."

"Who cares what your old fart of a grandpa says!" Yang yelled at him while covering Ruby's ears. "Look you may be a year older than my sister but I'll beat you like a grown man if you keep this up! Screw your words, screw your wisdom, and screw you Naruto you don't know anything about this!"

"I get it Yang…even if you don't think I do." Naruto muttered as he looked past the red moon and into the stars. "It's not like you're the only one to experience loss."

"I know that…but I just…I found out that Summer wasn't my real mother…and I foolishly tried to search my own." Yang said as sobs finally escaped, only to see Naruto look at her, "happy?"

"No, actually, I'm sad for you." Naruto stated as his smile faded. "I'm good at hiding sadness, it's been my thing since I was a young."

"You make it sound like your older than what you are," Yang said as she wiped away her tears, "so why bother coming to look for us? We barely know you, last time I checked you'd be happy being the only hyperactive blonde in Signal."

"Your father is my friend, your best friend is my friend, Sakura is your friend…and last time I checked I think I like fighting another blonde…it's almost fighting an older sister." Naruto said as he sighed, "and I think that's why I want to be a Hunter…to defend the ones I call friends…family."

"Call…isn't Sakura supposed to be your sister?" Yang asked as she Naruto frown, "I just assumed since you live in their home."

"Mebuki, her mother, adopted me." Naruto answered as he relaxed a little bit, "she took me in less than a year ago. Sakura is my sister, we fight a lot, but we're nowhere near sibling…just really good friends."

"You almost sound like you regret them doing that for you." Yang muttered.

"Not because I don't like it, I do…I'm indebted to them." Naruto stated as looked at Yang. "There are times…I feel like I can't, I can't repay them, no matter what I do. I've lived a hard life to this point, and legitimate work and even a true family is foreign to me…even now. If things had played out different I'd either ended up dead or joined up with The White Fang."

"What do you mean? I get that your Faunas and it's tough…" Yang questioned while looking at him.

"I've been a slave both directly, and indirectly for eight years of my life. I'm twelve Yang, you do the math from there. From being forced to mine in Mistral to being blackmailed by a criminal boss…" Naruto spoke as his eyes seem to gleam in the starlight and moonlight, "and I never thought it would end."

Yang looked at him, mouth agape. "What about your mother…father?"

"Don't know…." Naruto moved his right to his chest and clutched the shirt fabric just above his heart, "but I feel it that they're alive somewhere out there."

"They must be like my mother then…" Yang dejectedly spoke, "don't give a damn about what happens to you."

"That may be true." Naruto agreed but then smiled, "but Yang you've got a good life."

"It was mostly a lie save my father." Yang told Naruto before breaking down again, "and now…I want…Summer back."

"You'll always want them back, my adoptive grandfather died to tracer's almost a year ago." Naruto said as he put his hand on Yang's shoulder and squeezed it to give her comfort. "There won't be a day you won't want them back. You wish for one last time, one last thing to say, one last hug…one last "I love you" and all other things."

"You…mentioned being blackmailed…" Yang watched as the snow continued fall, only to notice Naruto was now crying.

In fact, the blonde was sobbing, he was shaking as he did. "I was being force to steal things from people to pay for my grandfather's medicine, but because of my stupid ears, my stupid Faunas traits…they gave me the wrong medicine. Not to mention, Roman, the man forcing me bare face lied to me on which ones to get…"

Yang looked at Naruto he clutched his eyes, sobbing so more, "and in the end. I came home to old dead body. After being beaten by that bastard…that's how my chapter began for this life I have here…"

Yang was stunned, her tears long gone, before she looked at Naruto who just then stared at the moon. "Sometimes…I wish I could go to the moon, and leave everything behind. Stop being a burden, stop being here, and just fade."

"What about your family you got now, you think they'd want you to die?" Yang questioned him which made him look at her with a smile. "Wait, why are you smiling."

"Because you realized it…" Naruto said as his tears dried up, "and I need to know now are you going to now. You gonna keep sulking here with me, or are you going to home and give your father a big hug? Give your father his daughters back, and love him better than before you pulled this stupid crap."

"It's not stupid…just…" Yang bit her tongue before looking at her fellow blonde, "why didn't you just tell people how you felt?"

"Because, I know life can be harsher than it's been already." Naruto simply stated as he got up, "but as long as I can stand up one last time…I can continue to find my way through it. Now c'mon Yang, you're older than me, so suck up those tears and let's go!"

Yang got up, only to hear her sister sobbing, "Ruby you okay?"

"Yes…" She said through her own sobbing, "I'm sorry I called you dumb the other day Naruto."

"Eh?" Naruto looked at Ruby before chuckling, "why are you sorry I think your right."

"That's a little random Ruby." Yang said she carried her sister, "you know it's pretty silent for a Blood Moon."

"So, why don't you just tell everyone about your past?" Ruby questioned as she looked at Naruto, who smiled.

"What's the point, we've all got something that put us where we're at today. Me, I didn't have a good life starting out…but I'm here now…with friends." Naruto said while his eyes were closed and smiling.

"Friends…" Ruby muttered, _"_ _is that why he became a Hunter?"_

Naruto looked at the puzzled Ruby, smiling a little bit, before looking at the forest. "I lied about another thing…I know the way back."

"You ass…" Yang chuckled dryly as she looked at him, "so all that was just to get me to open up?"

"Everyone has to let loose occasionally," Naruto told Yang, "you've got more responsibility than me. Ruby, your father, your school…I just have my word and school."

"Women are stronger..." Ruby noted as she remembered what her mother used to say, "we're the bearer of many burdens."

"And you said I'm wiser beyond my years." Naruto mumbled at Yang.

"I said you _speak_ like your older, doesn't mean you act like it." Yang jabbed back at him.

"Well can I just tell something else?" Naruto looked at them both, turning to walk backwards and talk to them.

"Sure, go ahead." Both Yang and Ruby allowed.

"If I was to say one thing about life, just like the stars, the road continues. There's no stop, not even in the next life, and you know guys…I think Summer is with us now. Haven't you all noticed something warm in the air?" Naruto questioned as his aura started to become full again.

Ruby and Yang stopped, before noting the warm feeling around them, Yang took out her scroll. She noted that her aura level was only mid yellow, to a point where it should just be rejuvenating her stamina.

Ruby wiggled herself free of Yang's arms, to walk on her own, slightly stretching with each step. They both walked with Naruto into the forest. As they passed a tree, no one took note of the figure dressed in all white walking behind them.

Nor they noticed it's glow, or the hair of the figure that perfectly matched Ruby's.

Naruto could feel this, even if he couldn't sense it, but however even behind him was a figure. An old man, walking with a staff, and glowing white armor. The old man had his hand placed on his shoulder, proud smiling adorned his wrinkled face, before pushing Naruto.

 _"_ _Keep pushing forward…"_ Naruto heard in his head, he stopped a moment before a single tear fell down his face. _"_ _I'm here…I'll always be here, till the end."_

"Gramps…" Naruto mumbled, _"_ _I…felt you."_

"Everything okay Naruto, you see any Grimm?" Ruby nuzzled closer to her sister, scared that the moon had made Grimm come to them.

"No…guys, it's all good." Naruto told them he turned to them, "I'm just warm."

"I can say, you're overflowing with aura…thought you said it'd take you a half hour to recharge?" Yang questioned as Naruto noticed the thicker than normal orange aura around him. Tears glistening in his eyes, he looked forwards.

The blonde stepped forward slowly, looking up at The Blood Moon, the boy just smiled before cracking his knuckles. He looked behind him, noticing the two sisters walking together, his eyes widened as he saw the faint outline of a woman standing behind them. Not solid in any fashion, more like a thin vapor.

Turning away, the blonde smashed his left knuckle into his right hand. _"_ _Alright then…Gramps, I'll keep pushing forward. I don't show it, but I'm scared, but if my aura is this full and I have friends to protect then I'll never fail. Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on a promise, that's my Hunter's Word…that's your code."_

Naruto could feel it in the back of his head however, that they were at least being watched by several Grimm. It's just, maybe due to the spirits around them, they didn't dare attack. His ears twitched, signaling movements, but unlike rough steps and unlike the sisters.

He heard soft, gentle, steps upon the snow-covered forest floor.

It walked so close behind the two sisters, they should've felt its presence, but could only feel the warmth around them. Even though the snow was coming down harder, just like their tears had been, but a wise man once said also.

With the heaviest snowfall, comes the warmest of springs.


	8. Chapter 8

The sounds of a baby are the music to everyone to hear its cries, the cries of a newborn filled the room as faded pink haired man held an infant wrapped in a blue blanket. "Mebuki…look it's our son, it's Hasu."

Sakura, who was attending the entire ordeal looked at her new baby brother with a smile laced across her face. "He's got your hair mom."

"Oh no…not another blonde." Mebuki joked as she looked at Naruto who was standing in the doorway.

A year has passed since the incident with Yang and Ruby, and Naruto had hit a small growth spurt.

The blonde now stood at five foot-three, his hair had grown even more spikier over the year, with a shade of red on the tips of it. His eyes gained a lighter color into them, becoming teal compared to the cerulean he was once endowed with.

Sakura herself had changed, she had short hair compared to her long hair as a younger kid. Now at fourteen years old, she was now slightly shorter than Naruto. her green eyes shined with merriment as her baby birthday got passed onto her.

"Congrats…" Naruto spoke as a smile adorned his lips, "so you named him after the lotus?"

"Yep," Mebuki weakly said with happiness laced within her voice, "it's bit ironic for such an older woman to have child in these times…"

"Old? Only a young woman could bare such a healthy boy." Kizashi stated as he watches Sakura rock Hasu back and forth.

Mebuki looked over to Naruto, "want to hold him?"

"Sure…I'd like that." Naruto told her as he walked over to Sakura.

The pinkette gave the Faunus smile as she slowly laid her brother into his arms. The baby's eyes opened, a bright green, and looked at Naruto. the blonde smiled, revealing a part of his canine teeth that had grown over the year after hitting puberty.

"Hey…Hasu," Naruto cued the babe as he rocked it back and forth. "You're a handsome little guy aren't ya~"

The Haruno family looked at him as he bounced the baby in his arms a little bit, it was awkward for Naruto as he looked at the happy baby, before looking at his adoptive family. "He's…so warm."

"It's a sign that he likes his brother." Sakura pointed out making Naruto's eyes widen for a moment, and he looked at the baby.

 _"_ _Brother…"_ Naruto thought on the word as he held Hasu. _"_ _Am I really worthy to be called such?"_

"Something wrong Naruto?" Kizashi asked as he walked over to Naruto, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"No…it's just, I…" Naruto stuttered over his words as the baby began to cry, "oh no what did I do?"

"You did nothing, must be hungry, here hand him to me." Mebuki called over to Naruto who walked over to her and handed her Hasu.

The blonde turned away to give Mebuki modesty as she fed Hasu, as he did, he faced Kizashi with a smile and tears floating in his eyes. "I'm just…happy."

Sakura looked at Naruto for a moment, frowning, _"_ _it must make him think of his own parents…if they truly cared for him like we do Hasu"_

"You sure," Kizashi looked on as Naruto had a tear trail down his face, "you're crying."

"It's because I can't process what this means…" Naruto mumbled as he smiled quivered slightly, "I'm finally apart of a true family…and…and…I'm now blessed with a new brother."

"Heh," Kizashi looked at Naruto, "so what would you do if someone tried to hurt Hasu?"

Naruto eyes burned with a righteous fury as the man asked him that question. "I'll kick their ass, I'll make sure they'd never hurt my little brother again, and I'll drag them down to a hell so ferocious that a Grimm may shake in fear!"

"Okay easy tiger, calm down, just a simple question. Besides, you're a good brother already by that alone." Kizashi pointed out as he looked at Naruto's quizzical look, "and if something should ever happen to anyone of us Naruto it's up to you to take care of him."

"I swear nothing will ever happen to you, Sakura, or Mebuki." Naruto stated with a serious tone as he crossed his arms. "I'll fight through hell."

 _"_ _These two years have made you a fireball, bristling with confidence in your abilities while making you flourish…son."_ Kizashi smile at Naruto as he ruffled the teen's hair, "you're so fired up already…but I tell you this much that my kid will love you just like Sakura does. You're one of us Naruto, even if you lack my luscious flaming hair."

"Heh," Naruto smirked, "that flame faded out."

Mebuki snickered at the comment, "he got you there Kizashi."

"So…when will you be able to leave the hospital?" Naruto questioned as he looked at Mebuki through the corner of his eye.

"Three days' time, doctors want to make sure there were no complications." Mebuki told Naruto as she finished feeding Hasu and covered herself up.

"You seem eager to leave…" Kizashi muttered as Naruto walked towards the door.

"It's not that I don't want to be here," Naruto looked at Kizashi with a beaming smile, "but now that I got a little brother…I have to train twice as hard as before!"

"Gods…" Sakura face palmed, "keep up the training mentality and you'll be a second Lee."

"What, I'd look good in that green jumpsuit." Everyone looked at Naruto before shaking their heads.

"Honey, no…just no."  
"Uh huh, sorry but I'm with mom on this one."  
"So…kettle calling the pot black much?"

Naruto laughed slightly as he looked at them, smiling, "I think I'll be taking this one on the hip."

"Naruto, can I ask you a question?" Mebuki looked at the blonde.

"Sure…" Naruto leaned against the doorway.

"Do you feel like you owe us?" She inquired as she raised up while holding her son.

"Yeah, I do," Naruto told her as he smiled. "However, I don't mind that feeling, because you've given so much to me."

"Then do me a favor," Mebuki looked deep into Naruto's eyes, "don't ever stop pushing forward. You got a little brother to protect now, if you want to go and train you got my blessing."

"Mom?" Sakura looked at her mother questioning her as Naruto smiled and left, "you aren't mad at him?"

"No, he's just new to this, but I can see that true care in his eyes. He'd do anything to protect Hasu, just like you, and you." Mebuki said with a tear running down her cheek, "and he'll do it without a second thought. If he must feel like getting stronger is the answer, who am I as a mother to say no."

* * *

"Ya!" Naruto yelled as he sunk his kunai into the throat of Beowulf.

The creature exploded into a fine black mist as Naruto flipped backwards and threw two kunai into an advancing Beowulf. They found their mark, hitting it in the eyes, and killed instantly. As the creature exploded, Naruto dashed forwards, clutching both kunai in reverse as he spun his heel and delivered death onto another.

Bending forwards, the teen avoided a slash from a Beowulf coming behind him and rolled forwards, "Yanaaa!"

The beast screamed as the blonde propelled himself off the ground with his hands, slashing the beast across the top of its head, before feeling the boy land behind him and deliver a kunai strike to back of its neck.

Two Beowulfs landed near the blonde's discarded kunai, before he smirked, and snapped his fingers. "Boom!"

The kunai exploded in a small explosion, taking out the two that were charging before they knew what had happened. Flipping his kunai around via the hold in their handle the blonde whistled as his ears twitched. "You're nothing but live testing dummies to me now boys. I got all day, all night, and all my life to train with you!"

As a Beowulf dashed towards him, the blonde smirked as he flared his orange aura around his body. Making the demonic looking wolf creature stop, before watching the blonde push more aura out. What used to be a thin veil around his body became a flamelike cloak.

His aura flaming around him, increasing everything.

Looking at his kunai, the blonde merely put them up before cracking his neck and knuckles. "Get ready…for a royal beatdown!"

The Beowulf's eyes widened as the blonde became a blur, before appearing above him. "One smashed tomato coming up!"

The beast's eyes nearly shot out as the blonde's axe kick connected with the top of its head. To make matters worse, instead of falling, the blonde twisted to his right before sending a powerful midair roundhouse and sent the creature flying backwards.

Smirking, the blonde reached behind him, catching the neck of a Beowulf that had attempted to bite him from behind. "Get ready, because I'm going to show my new technique."

Using his flexibility, the blonde let go of the beast's throat before leaning forwards and sending his right foot against the chin of the beast. The amount of strength overflowing sent the beast into air about ten feet, only for the blonde appear above him, his foot pointed down as he spun in the air. "Spiral Barrage!"

The blonde cocked his leg back as he spun before crashing it against the beast. It howled in pain as the aura ripped through its body, before crashing into the ground with the blonde on top. Grabbing his kunai, the blonde flared his aura to where it extended off the kunai.

Like that of a blade, before slicing the head off.

Quickly jumping off the exploding Beowulf, he reversed gripped the kunai to block a pouncing Beowulf, before spinning it around via the hole in the bottom and slicing the beast apart. The blonde's teal eyes slowly turned orange as he focused aura into his palm.

Spinning around on his heel once he hit the ground, the blonde thrusted his palm into the last remaining beast, exploding it backwards and making burst into smoke within a few seconds. The hum of his aura was the only sound besides the rain that was falling around him, he smirked as he deactivated his aura.

Taking a deep breath, his orange eyes slowly went back to teal. "How was that Instructor Taiyang?"

"Not bad, you seem to be focused on balancing speed and your aura abilities. I would dare say that what you're displaying is a semblance, but you're just using pure aura." Taiyang spoke as he came out from behind a tree, "it's almost like your natural at aura manipulation."

"Heh, to think two years ago I had one of the weakest's control scores in Signal." Naruto stated as he put his kunai up, "now I'm one of the most proficient."

"Tenacity Naruto, that's the decider of life and death." Taiyang stated as crossed his arms, "how's that little brother yours?"

"Hasu is doing well, he's been home for about for three weeks now." Naruto said as he sat on the ground, "how's Ruby and Yang?"

"Ruby is struggling in the first year, Yang is excelling. Same old same old." Taiyang spoke as he took a seat by Naruto, "you're ready I believe to advance onto the third year in the academy."

"I don't think so…" Naruto stated as he looked up at the sunset as the rain stopped, "besides I'm just getting ready to turn fourteen in a month…no need to rush."

"Your strong for what you are Naruto, you'll be skipping at this rate." Taiyang stated, "and I don't think I can say no to the Headmaster of Signal if he wants to make you skip."

"Shit…" Naruto cursed as he, "tell the old man to go advance Lee up. He's hell of a lot stronger than me."

"Yet you're moving quickly, most students should only be in our academy for five years Naruto…yet here you are training individually with me. I don't usually do this until a student is in their third year." Taiyang spoke before looking at Naruto, "are you happy being a big brother?"

"Yeah…" Naruto muttered before giving a bright smile, "it just means I have more reasons to put an end to all of this."

Taiyang looked at him, "an end to what?"

"Grimm," Naruto stated, "I want to end them all one day. Free our world of this blight, stop the bloodshed, stop it all."

"That's a dream worth having, personally I would just love to have Summer back." Taiyang muttered as he looked up in the sky, "she always like the sunset after the rain."

"Ruby does too…" Naruto pointed out, "I don't think I'll ever stop enjoying a brighter smile."

"Now Mr. Uzumaki, you aren't smitten, are you?" Naruto face flushed at Taiyang's question.

"Eh?!" Naruto screeched as he looked at the man pointing at him, "why ya gotta make it weird for huh?! Can't a guy just enjoy seeing other's smile ya know!"

Taiyang looked at Naruto before laughing, "you're way too easy to tease boy."

"Least I don't have gray hair." Naruto shot back.

Taiyang winced, "oi low blow kid."

"Hey Taiyang…" Naruto watched as the man looked at him, "can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead kid." Taiyang responded as he looked at the blonde sigh.

"What is it to love, as in to be passionate about someone else?" Naruto inquired as his eyes hanged off to side for a moment to avoid Taiyang.

"Now that there is a tricky question, because there are three types of love Naruto." Taiyang said as he sighed as he sat up.

"There is a love a mother or father have for their children, the willingness to throw their own life away if it meant saving them. If Ruby or Yang were to be in some sort of danger where it was me or them Naruto, I'd happily get devoured by whatever monster that is attacking them." Taiyang stated with gusto, "there is love for brothers and sisters. Where your first bonds are forged, setting the stage to allow you to make friends."

"Like with me and The Haruno Family." Naruto pointed out with a smile gracing his lips.

"Exactly," Taiyang agreed, "but I don't deep down you feel as though they love you more than just friendship."

"I know they do, it's just…I never…felt this way before." Naruto mumbled dejectedly, "like I never felt this way even with my grandfather. There was always some sort of barrier, because when I came into his life I caused nothing but strife."

"Faunus and Racism." Taiyang, "an unfortunate combination. Which is why Patch is a good place to be, there really isn't a horrible element here…save a couple of idiots."

"His own daughter's husband was anti Faunus, so when I got brought into the picture by him the man…no the asshole stole his time with a blood grandson he'll never get to meet." Naruto spoke bitterly of the man that took Sarutobi's time away.

"That is very sad…" Taiyang then placed his hand in Naruto's hair and ruffled it, "but you're a very good young man. Maybe one day you can tell of your grandfather's selflessness to his grandchild."

Naruto looked at Taiyang and nodded before getting up. "I want to train some more."

"Spar?" Taiyang asked.

His only response was Naruto's aura flaring to life, before becoming the flame like it was earlier. The hum of the flamelike energy filled Taiyang's ears as he stood up. A yellow aura slowly appearing around him, glowing brightly as he looked at Naruto.

"Oh, and Naruto…" Taiyang smirked, "as for the third form of love. Romance, romance is like a burning flame in your heart but you share it with someone else. It's a horrible flame, because where it can give life, it can hurt it as well. It takes time to nurture, to focus, and even more to see if it lasts."

Naruto nodded before putting his hands up, Taiyang did the same thing. "Rules?"

"What rules," Naruto told him as he charged, "let's just fight!"

The older blonde smiled as he cocked his fist back, "then get ready to run wild!"

"Haaa!" They both screamed as they launched punches at each other, colliding against each other their auras briefly fused before pushing against one another.

Taiyang for a moment, swore for all the life of him, that a blonde hair man with a similar appearance to Naruto was standing behind the boy. He even recognized the face, _"_ _Minato?"_


	9. Chapter 9

Hasu was wailing to the top of his lungs, the toddler had just been complaining of a stomachache when his brother walked into the house. After not seeing Naruto all, because like all fourteen-year-old Huntsmen in training he should've been in school, the boy had cuts and bruises across his entire visible body.

The third year in Signal was really taking its toll.

Sighing, the blonde walked over to Hasu as Mebuki and Kizashi came into the child's room. "Oh man, sorry if he woke you up, we were about to take him on a walk."

"Oh no, he didn't, I just got in." Naruto told them as he knelt and looked at Hasu with a smile.

"Naru-Naru!" The boy gurgled, going from crying to a happy slobbering mess.

Kizashi facepalmed himself before chuckling, "well dear looks like Hasu wants his brother."

"You sure you don't mind taking him for a walk?" Mebuki questioned as she examined the state the boy was in.

He was too proud to admit it, but he was exhausted, and he had Yang to think sucker punching him in the chest for it.

Bending down the blonde mix haired Faunus picked up the boy, "okay Hasu, just don't play with brother's ears okay?"

"Ya-ya!" The boy cheered as Naruto hoisted him over his head, placing his small legs over his shoulders.

"Mmmph…he's gotten heavy." Naruto commented as he saw Mebuki looking at him with an approving smile.

"Is Sakura going to be home soon?" Kizashi inquired as he watches Naruto head for the door walking slowly to get the boy's balance correct.

"Her, Yang, and Ruby snuck off to watch that new movie…guess who they didn't invite." The blonde chuckled as he raised his hand, "but no worries I get time with little Hasu here!" The blonde looked over his shoulder to his brother and smiled, "who's the heavy brother?"

"Me!" Hasu called out loudly.

Naruto walked out the door, leaving both Mebuki and Kizashi to look at each other before collapsing to the ground. "What were we thinking…." She whined, "Sakura was a handful as a toddler."

"I'm just ready to get some sleep, sundown should be lights out, too bad he got your night owl trait woman." Kizashi muttered while Mebuki weakly and a bit comically lightly punched him on the head once.

"Shut it…" Mebuki mumbled as her voice was slightly drowned out by the hardwood floor she had it buried in.

Walking on a dirt road, the stars glittered, the sun went down an hour ago as Naruto walked with Hasu. Occasionally he would stop, bend down, and pick up a puddle of water in his hands for the one year old to drink once he purified it with his strong aura.

"You know Hasu," Naruto looked at the boy with a smile, "you're probably not understanding me when I say this. But, little guy, you're probably the most cheerful kid I've ever met. I wish I had a family like you did starting out, I wonder if I even did."

The boy looked at him curiously, the twitching of Naruto's ears broke him out of the stare before he flicked them with his hands. The Faunus chuckled as he continued to walk, before coming to small log to sit on and looked up into the sky.

"My grandfather told me a story one time, about a hero." Naruto spoke as he relaxed Hasu on the log by him, "and that this hero was born in The Realm of Light."

Hasu looked interested in Naruto's story.

"The boy was mischievous, not evil, but playful to a fault. He enjoyed dashing through the stars, through the clouds on our realm, and when he finally was tired he would let out a thunderous yawn and lay down where he landed on realm." Naruto started the story, "but one day…um…."

Naruto looked at the Hasu, before sighing, "One day…one…day…um. Hoshi! Yeah that's the boy's name, Hoshi. Anyway, Hoshi one day woke up to find that he was still on realm we call our home. When he was asleep, evil Grimm came and stole his magic and him."

Hasu eyes widened a little bit, shaking at the word Grimm.

"Hoshi was abandoned, in a cave, forced to dig himself out. Grimm would sit outside, mock him, jeer him and call him all sorts of nasty names. " _Oh look, the star child can't find his way, his light is too much a flicker."_ They would jeer, curse him, before long Hoshi had loss hope."

"However, one day, a group of Huntresses, four in number came to his aid." Naruto pointed out with a smile before standing up and getting off the log." Naruto raised his hands up high, before dropping to his knees. "Hoshi praised his father, The Light God, and hoped that the four would hear his cry."

"The first to hear his cry was a small, meek girl, named Spring." Naruto huddled down, making himself look smaller. "Buried deep into the cave, the star child cried out _"_ _Oh please, can someone deliver me food, for my thirst of energy is like that of a desert seeking water."_

"Spring looked at him through hole he had manage to dig, _"_ _I can only give you a gif of trees and animals."_ She spoke solemnly as she filled the cave with light and within it the cave formed a dark forest." Naruto spread out his arms to show the formation of the forest.

"B-but, Hoshi was smart. He would feed off the energy around him, because aura is present in all things. From me," Naruto pointed to himself to pointing at Hasu, "to you. The blades of grass to the tallest trees."

"Then came Summer, a brave woman with glistening hair of fire. She peered into the cave. _"_ _My sister told me of your plight, I can spare over my light, and get you out of the night."_ she spoke softly to him. However _, I cannot grant you water, for it's not my power to give_." Naruto flared his aura out to create a little bit of light.

"Fall came, she came in silence, the boy could only hear her power roar out and feed the small cave full of light with water and rain. She left in silence, but prayed for Hoshi's continued survival, his road was not yet done." Naruto then walked over to Hasu, picking him up. "Then came Winter, also silent, but she blessed him her cooling breeze to stifle the heat coming from Summer's blazing sun."

"Years feeding upon the energy, making sure to do so carefully, he had grown into a fine young man. Hoshi, no longer concerned about going home sought what our world could offer him. So, he ventured forth, from Vale to Vacuo, Mistral to Atlas, the continents, and all the mountains that touched the sky." Naruto began to hop around as Hasu clutched onto him, leaving small trails of orange light. "His reach effected those far and wide, smiles adorned the faces of both Humankind and Faunus."

"His blue eyes, blonde hair, the bright smile he gave when happy made all the people around him happy as well. The tears he shed, made the people around him shed tears as well…and…and…" Naruto stopped as he did Hasu looked at him curiously.

A sudden wave of realization hit him, _"_ _Grandpa…you…I…"_

"More, more!" Hasu happily yelled as he bounced on Naruto's shoulders.

Failing to notice his older brother shed tears, openly sobbing against the moonlight, which made his tears glisten.

As his tears fell from his face, he thought about the times Mebuki and Kizashi looked at him as a part of their own. He felt Hasu bouncing on top of him, it finally hit him, like a ton of bricks smashing against the ground.

The two years he has spent with this family, he never once called Mebuki mother, nor openly called Sakura sister, nor called Kizashi his father. Not directly, not once, but should he feel bad for it? He made sure that he did good by them, what was he afraid of?

It answered itself as he looked upon a puddle, just at the right angle to where Hasu wasn't present. Naruto just saw himself, all alone. The mix haired boy's tears added to that puddle, he shook, and shook. Like he was freezing.

His cheerful, carefree, and peaceful life that he had always wanted…it felt hollow then.

Slowly finding his voice, Naruto began to finish the story.

"Then one day, the boy met an old man…that old man taught him about family. The importance it meant, the strives one must take to protect it….to cherish it." Naruto fell to his knees, before tears fell from his face and onto the ground.

The splashing of the puddle made Hasu look at his brother's face through the now reforming puddle.

"Naruto…" Naruto eyes widened at his name, before he looked up to see Hasu smiling brightly, "Naruto, good story! Naruto okay?"

"Hasu…" Naruto muttered as he looked up and saw the boy in the puddle. "Naruto is okay…"

Turning on his knees away from the puddle, Naruto picked up his brother from his shoulders, before placing him in front of himself.

With that, the blonde embraced his little brother, hugging and holding him tightly as tears slipped down his face. "Because I'm with family, and they are the most precious things to me on Remnant…and you are too."

The small child couldn't understand Naruto, but returned the hug, his little arms stretched over the Faunus's neck.

* * *

Walking back into the house silently, the blonde walked Hasu towards his crib, placing him inside of it. Naruto's lip quivered as he slowly walked towards the bedroom of Mebuki and Kizashi. Steeling himself, Naruto slowly knocked on the door.

"Are you guys up?" Naruto questioned as lowly but as audible as he could.

The door opened to reveal Mebuki and Kizashi. "We've been waiting up, we got worried when you guys didn't get home for the last hour."

Naruto looked at them, before grabbing them both, and pulled them into a hug. Latching his arms around both, Kizashi and Mebuki looked at each other. _"_ _What's gotten into him?"_

They suddenly felt Naruto sob against them, before hearing him speak. "I love you guys so much…mom…dad…I love you guys so much, I'm so sorry!"

Both Mebuki and Kizashi were both taken aback by the titles he just gave them, instead of just saying them. "Naruto…did something happen?"

"Yes…I realized that you're all my family, I…I don't want to keep pushing that back anymore. Mom…can you please forgive me for not calling you that for so long…and dad." Naruto looked right into Kizashi's eyes, the man's eyes glistened with tears, "I thank you for teaching me how to become man."

Returning the hug, they suddenly heard footsteps, before they looked to see Sakura. The girl had a dumbfounded expression across her face, "did something…happen while I was out?"

"Yeah," Mebuki said, "I think Naruto finally just called himself a Haruno."

"Wait…what?" Sakura looked at Naruto, "everything okay Naruto?"

The blonde mix haired Faunus nodded as he turned to her, "I'm alright…sis."

Sakura's eyes widened as she looked at Naruto, "sis…Naruto are sur-ah?!"

Naruto dashed over to her, wrapping her up in a large hug. He backed away as he looked at Sakura's blushing form, before steam came out of her ears. "Alright, who are you and what happened to the real Naruto. Naruto is never this much of a crybaby, he doesn't apologize for stupid stuff, and he's always been a part of our family."

"I never respected that!" Naruto stated as he looked at everyone, "every time I talked to you it's always been with your names…I never gave you the title…I never said Sister…Mother…Father. I…I've been, I don't know…maybe I am over reacting."

"No, you're not." Mebuki stated, "you're just speaking what's in your heart…son."

Naruto looked at them, before smiling, "thanks mom."

* * *

Naruto collided fists with Yang as they both smashed into each other's face with a headbutt following when both moved their fists away from each other, crisscrossing their arms on another attempted punch. The third-year student and fourth-year student clashed once again in a monitored spar in front of Taiyang as the proctor.

Backing off each other, the two blondes assumed a boxers' stance and began bouncing on their feet. Only when Yang launched a punch did Naruto launch a kick, and deflected her punch with his foreleg and followed up by jumping from his one remaining foot on the ground and twisting to deliver an axe kick onto Yang's left forearm.

Grabbing his leg, Yang threw Naruto to the ground, before getting on top of him and attempted to punch him flat on the face to end the match. Only for her to be surprised when he used the momentum he landed with to flip each other over to where he was on top.

"Not bad foxy," Yang kicked him off, "but don't think you can beat a dragon by making lay against the ground."

Naruto's aura flared as well as Yang's. Lee and Sakura were cheering on both separately. Both Yang and Naruto began dropping into different stances.

Naruto dropped into a lower stance, his arms at angle away from each other, his right leg out in front and bended, his palms flat. Yang's golden aura flowed around her as her eyes shimmered red for a moment.

"Ahhh!" Both screamed as they charged at each other, Naruto using his hands in karate chop-like motions, and Yang using her overwhelming power to deflect each of his blows.

They were evenly matched in speed, but what Yang lacked was her blonde rival's reflexes and he quickly found an opening as he jumped up and spun around once before side kicking Yang midair. She stumbled backwards, giving him an opening.

The blonde landed and dashed, leaned back to avoid a punch that was directed at his face. He then twisted to face away from Yang and crouch down. Grabbing the land with his hands, he launched both his legs upwards and sent Yang into the air.

Yang grunted as she felt a massive chunk of aura drop, before looking above as Naruto appeared and began spinning. "Spiral Barrage!" he called as his aura flared more at the bottom.

Yang roared out, using her Ember Celica to blast away from Naruto and rolled backwards when she landed on the ground to avoid the hit.

She watched when Naruto landed, himself spinning around a couple of times, only for her to be stunned when he blocked her punch with both of his arms when she thought she had an opening. "Well, damn, thought I had you."

"Honestly, if I'd spun one last time, it'd been like last time." Naruto told her as he and her separated.

"Good thing I upgraded Ember Celica from last time," Yang said as she cocked the shotgun bracelet on her wrists and loaded them with fire dust, "because it looks like you've been training hard for the past four weeks since our last bout."

Naruto shrugged, reaching down into his pouches before removing two kunai, "you know Yang…we're both in the yellow. No reason to hold back, after all, what's isn't fun without pushing it?"

Taiyang pursed his lips, before slowly backing away from the arena, he eyed as Yang and Naruto as both glared at each other. _"_ _If it gets too much I'll have to stop them…again."_

The orange aura around Naruto flared as it channeled into his kunai, extending an ethereal orange bladelike energy from their blades. Naruto had his left blade reversed grip, his _guarding_ blade as he liked to mention, while having right blade to his side.

"Oi foxy," Yang eyes turned red as she slammed her fists together, "when you gonna dye that hair all red?"

"Don't know…why?" Naruto shot her a cocky grin as crouched down and got ready to dash at her.

"Because…" Yang then leaped towards him and she leapt high, "I'm about make a smashed tomato soup de blondie!"

Naruto jumped backwards before using his left blade to guard against several blasts from Ember Celica, and deflected the last one with his right blade. The deflected shot flew into the air, exploding after a few seconds, he watched as the dust cleared to see Yang had disappeared.

"Raggh!" Naruto ears perked up as Yang appeared behind him, her golden aura flaring.

 _"_ _Too fast!"_ Naruto eyes widened before using his forearms to guard against the attack that sent him skidding across the ground.

Barely able to keep his footing, the blonde grimaced as he felt his aura reserves take a heavy toll from that one punch.

Yang was truly a monster when she wanted to be, and this only proved her worth as a Huntress in training.

Sometimes brute force beat practice.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked at his scroll, which was attached to pouch on his left arm. He was now nearly in the red, but instead of worrying about it, he just snickered. "I've been going about this all wrong." he muttered as he absorbed the aura from his blades, restoring some his aura into the middle of yellow. "I can't just attack you with my own force, I'll get knocked back every time, but I can at least predict your movements."

Yang sneered as she punched the ground, causing dust to erupt from the broken earth beneath. Naruto sucked his breath in as he focused on using his Faunus ears to hear Yang. The sounds of rapid footsteps flooded his ears, before he closed his eyes.

 _"_ _She's using her aura to move faster, making the dust encircle me so I can't get a direct visual…she won't attack from the back too predictable."_ Naruto then heard them stop before nothing else but air flooded his ears.

His eyes snapping open, the mixed blonde threw his kunai up without looking and rolled forward. "Boom!"

Yang's eyes widened as she used both her Ember Celica to blast away in the sky before kunai exploded into violent blasts of wind. Which when the shots from hit, caused a fire ball to occur, illuminating Yang's entire vision.

 _"_ _Damn…foxy…I…can't see."_ Yang shielded her eyes, her worst mistake.

She felt something slam into her from behind, before feeling herself moving fast towards the ground. Yang used his instincts and rolled forward when she hit the ground. She looked behind her, seeing Naruto who smirked as he wiped his nose with his thumb in a similar manner like Rock Lee would do in a successful attack.

"Don't get cocky ya damn fox!" Yang yelled as she cocked her arms and weapon back.

Naruto smirked as he pulled a kunai out and lobbed it hard at her. She launched two large shots from her weapon which impacted Naruto's kunai. Instead of exploding in a fireball, it just blew steam across the entire arena.

Once again, also, block Taiyang's vision.

 _"_ _He's played my daughter like a fiddle twice. He knows as long he can stay out of sight, move silently, she doesn't have a ghost's chance of hitting him. Clever, using his natural senses against hers, in reality Faunus are really capable fighters compared to us humans…it's…just a matter of pride."_ Taiyang squeezed his hands, _"_ _I want Yang to win."_

Yang looked around the mist, seeing a blur pass through it every so often, she knew that he was using his aura as well to increase his speed. Only difference now however, and quite frighteningly for her undefeated record against her fellow blonde, is that her semblance was gorging away at her reserves.

Growing a visible vein in her head, she tapped her foot as she waited…and waited, for her this attack was taking too long. What was he waiting on, why wasn't he attacking her, that's when she heard an airhorn?

 _"_ _Wait, what, no!"_ Yang snapped around to see that her aura counter that Qrow was holding up was at red and him sounding the horn. "When did he hit me?!"

"I didn't…" Naruto stated as the last of the mist cleared up to reveal him just sitting on the ground, "I played you."

"Huh?!" Yang screamed in confusion as she saw Naruto just sitting on the ground, "b-bu-but!"

"He's right Yang," Qrow stated, "he made the smokescreen…mist-screen?"

"Eh…both." Naruto shrugged as he continued to sit, "anyway you wanna tell her that she played herself?"

"Wha-what, how and when!" Yang yelled as she saw the boy just sigh and relax. "You're…your almost in the red."

"Yep…I wasn't thinking I could hold out much longer," Naruto stated, "but when you just kept that semblance up and running like I knew you would you allowed your reserves to drain."

"Naruto has a point," Taiyang sighed, "and I hope you are all learning from this. Naruto is the weaker opponent of the two, he's lost time and time against Yang here. However, when someone uses the same plan over and over, it's bound to eventually backfire. Naruto isn't exactly excused from that either, for he time and time again tried matching against Yang's superior firepower."

"So, he used Yang's fire preferences against her." Qrow continued for Taiyang, "and when Naruto threw the kunai from before he used the dust crystals and his aura to expand their power to match and cancel out her attacks. Yang's own choice in dust, and her own firepower was her undoing."

"That," Taiyang gritted his teeth, "and how many times I've told her _not_ to leave her semblance just going."

"So, as it stands today, between Yang and Naruto, there have been ten battles. Nine out of the ten is in favor Yang, one as of today for Naruto." Qrow wrote in his journal, "holy crap…I lost my bet."

"Eh?!" Naruto screeched as he looked Qrow, "I thought you were betting on me."

"I betted on you the last five times…and lost, so I decided to switch over to Yang on this one. Sorry kid." Qrow chuckled as he raised his hands in feign attempt at defense.

"So, who's the bet against you?" Yang questioned only to see Taiyang pinch his nose, "dad?!"

"Eh…I decided that Qrow needed to win occasionally." Taiyang stated before looking at Naruto and smiling, "apparently, our resident Fox Faunus flipped that on its head."

"I swear…" Qrow mumbled and sighed, "okay Taiyang what do I lose…this time."

"You can't drink for an entire week." Taiyang merely stated as he walked away from the arena and led the other students away save Naruto.

"Wh-what?! Oh, c'mon Taiyang, that's not cool man! Do you know how many bad things are gonna happen when I'm not at least buzzed!" Qrow complained before looking at Naruto who just smiled and waved at him.

* * *

Naruto was currently sitting inside of Ichiraku and slurping down a bowl of noodles while wearing his work uniform. Teuichi and Ayame were looking at him as he finished his noodles. "So…you seem happy, you finally win?"

"Yep," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "hook line and sinker."

"A brash girl such as Yang would continue punching a mountain if it'd seem to move an inch." Teuichi spoke as he saw Naruto make a to go order for himself, "so how close were you to running out?"

"Pretty close old man, pretty close."

* * *

A small ray of sunlight flooded a cave as the sounds of footsteps could be heard, before suddenly coming to a stop.

A woman with long red hair, wearing a mask in the likeness of a fox, stood across from a woman with white hair bundled in regal fashion befitting an ancient empress of some sort.

The Empress, the woman with demonic looking eyes filled with a crimson so akin to blood it was almost frighteningly like the liquid that gave all things life. Her skin, pale white as snow off the tops of the tallest mountains, and just as cold was her stare towards the masked woman in front of her.

"Ah, and so The Summer Maiden appears." The woman spoke with a chuckle laced in her throat as she peered at the woman's mask. "A truly desperate woman you must me to face me, wasn't the death of your husband enough?"

"You'll burn in hell today witch…" The Masked Woman hissed as she reached down to her side, an orb of blue light forming in her hand.

The screech of the orb filled the air as it ignited in flame, glowing almost like a star in the woman's hand.

"So," The Empress chuckled as she slowly walked towards her assailant, "you think using your husband's technique will beat me?"

"No." The Masked Woman stated, "but he will."

The Empress's eyes widened as she felt a crash behind her, turning to see the pale red fur of a giant nine tailed fox, it's equally pale red eyes. **"** **Salem, the ever-bitter thorn and mistake in my side."**

"Ah, Lord Kurama, I was just wondering when you show your ancient face to me again." The Empress, identified as Salem stated as she put her back to The Masked Woman.

"It's over Salem, this war in the shadows, all of it!" The Masked Woman yelled as a green sphere formed in her left hand, "It'll end in the bowls of this mountain."

"Taiyo has many mountains, ancient lands hollowed by millenniums of war. All heralded by my ancestors and yours alike. Hmm, however, it seems you're correct it'll end today." Salem chuckled as she spun around with a wicked smile across her face, "because I, Salem have acquired the power of a true Goddess."

"Go…Kurama." The Masked Woman ordered as she charged at Salem.

Kurama, the giant nine tailed fox roared out as it launched three of its tails at a stabbing motion.

The screech of The Masked Woman's technique, the roar of the giant tailed beast, all of it was flooding into Salem's ears. She chuckled, watching dodging the three large tails, before appearing behind The Masked Woman in a terrifying display of speed.

 **"** **Kushina!"** Kurama roared as he watches Salem stab her hand through The Masked Woman's chest.

She wasted no time, she wanted this fight to end, another chest piece off the table.

Acting fast the giant fox leapt and caught Kushina in its maw, before a screech emanated from its body as it flowed energy into the woman's body that was inside of his mouth.

Salem just chuckled, she almost laughed as she closed her eyes. The screeching continued as Salem merely opened her now glowing red eyes.

Emerging from the giant fox's maw, Kushina was clad in golden flames as she charged two golden orbs in her hands. The giant fox roared as it spat Kushina towards Salem, only for the woman dodge and appear behind both through a dark hole she formed.

The screeching of Kushina's attack sounded so similar to very thing she had going through her head as the cave was suddenly filled with black flames.


	10. Chapter 10

The calm of a lake was disturbed once a giant fox crashed into its waters, it's body covered in burns, along with missing its right arm. It had black lines running down it's from the tears it gave after the harrowing battle it had fought against a true demoness in its mind.

As it struggled to swim to shore, the giant fox was seen by a red-haired girl on the shoreline. She came running over, having seen the giant fox landing in the waters. Likely to quench any flames it had on its fur coating.

 **"** **Akahana…"** It murmured as it rested its giant head on the shoreline, taking deep and labored breaths. **"** **We have failed…"**

The fox lurched as it spat out Kushina, the redhead woman, missing her right arm, was laying in the mud. "Mother!"

Akahana looked at her beaten and battered mother, who was barely alive at this point. Her powers as a Summer Maiden flickering, attempting a desperate restoration of her body to minimum survivability. the girl, the spitting image of her mother, looked upon her parent with sadness in her eyes.

The teen clutched her hands, "Kurama what do we do now? We need to get mother out of here!"

 **"** **Child…"** Kurama shaking mumbled as it reached out to the girl. **"** **Kushina was Taiyo's last line…The Dragon Continent is lost…along with any hope of reclaiming it."**

"No…mother…she's…Kurama is she…" Akahana looked at her mother's short and labored form.

 **"** **The last person she thought of was you…Akahana, you're to be the next Summer Maiden. Kushina has only minutes to live, but she managed to reclaim something…something only your brother can use."** Kurama stated as he nudged his head towards Kushina's left hand.

Inside of it was a necklace with a tiny blue crystal inside of it.

"A relic…" She murmured. "The Necklace of Light."

 **"** **Yes…she managed to snatch it away from Salem during our desperate fight…her last act of defiance."** Kurama stated as his breathing became more labored.

"Kurama…I…but my brother…he's been gone for so long. When Salem first attacked us…" She stuttered as she looked down at the necklace with her green eyes watering from the pressure she had now to be burdened with.

The pale red fox looked at Kushina, before giving a very heavy sigh.

 **"** **We are to leave Taiyo…I'll seal myself inside of you to boost your powers using the four-trigram method. Isobu is to meet us at the old docks, I've called for a meeting between all Great Beasts."** Kurama looked right into her eye. **"** **If we don't hurry Salem will be here…possibly using her pets to steal away your mother's powers. I doubt my strongest attack currently would be enough to delay her…she's truly master her ancestral powers."**

Akahana looked at her mother, before clenching her fists. "Screw that…we're not killing my mother!"

 **"** **There is no choice, she has only a few days at best! Her aura was ripped away from her. But the basis of her powers, her soul, remains within her. The transfer of her powers is the transfer of her spirit into you, while allowing her own spirit freedom…you've both lost so much…because I thought I could…"** Kurama's eyes widened as he felt a dark presence leaving the mountains behind them. **"** **There is no more time!"**

Akahana sobbed as she reached behind her, pulling out a small dagger, she dreaded that this would've ever come. Tears spilled out of her eyes as she shook, before looking at her mother's form. Kushina seem to relax, her breathing slowed, before what appear to be a smile appeared on her lips.

Clenching her eyes, Akahana screamed as she sent the dagger down, straight into her own mother's heart.

A golden stream of energy passed into her as she roared out, clenching her mother's chest via the clothing. She screamed, sobbed, and begged for this to not be real.

However, Kurama's panic only seemed to set the tone of the situation.

It was very much reality.

"Kurama…" Akahana muttered, "is it done…"

 **"** **It is…I'll burn her body once we're able to get away and complete the sealing ritual. Knowing Chomei…she should be arrivin…"** Kurama watched a large seven tailed beetle flew over them, dropping three dark colored spheres onto an area.

Crawling himself over quickly, the fox shielded the body of Kushina, along with her daughter Akahana. The shockwaves from the orbs smashing into the ground blasted the trees free of their leafs, devoid of the lively green, the forest looked dead.

An ancient forest laid to waste mere moments.

 **"** **Chomei says that the bombing run she just made slowed Salem down…we must move!"** Kurama growled as he scooped Kushina into his mouth like a caring fox parent would do for its child.

Akahana jumped up, landing on the beast's head. "Then…we need to move Kurama…I order you as the new Summer Maiden."

The fox grunted as he began to dash off into the forest, it's nine tails weaving through the trees with millenniums worth of practice.

Akahana laid on top of his head, sobbing as she cradled herself.

The war had just claimed another of her family.

* * *

Naruto tossed and turned in his sleep, before eyes snapped open. His eyes were filled tears, he didn't know why, but he felt a pain in his chest. Getting up from his bed he ran towards his adoptive parent's door.

Opening it silently, he saw both was okay, however he couldn't shake this feeling of loss.

Naruto walked back into hallway, before running back into his room, and grabbing some clothing. He walked back through the hallway, before he walked through the living room and outside. Rain fell in small droplets, not a heavy downpour like it had been, but still enough to fit what was Naruto was feeling.

Guilt and sadness.

* * *

Naruto walked towards Cassardis, the rain had stopped, he looked at himself in a puddle. His hair, which had been blonde, was slowly becoming more red. Clenching his fists, he looked at the sky, _"_ _what's this feeling?"_

* * *

Naruto was at Taiyang's place, before knocking on the door. "Mr. Xiao-Long?"

The door clicked open, revealing Yang who was rubbing her eyes. "What the hell Naruto…it's four in the morning ya know."

"I didn't know, I've been running around for a couple of hours…I need to speak to your dad if I can." Yang rolled her eyes before smirking.

She put her hands on her hips, "and not little o'l me?"

"Sorry Yang…but you're not my type to begin with." Naruto pointed out as his face fell flat, "but if you want to talk to me I do need someone to talk to…"

"Sure thing, let me just go get my boots." Yang said as she closed the door in Naruto's face.

The girl walked back inside and after a few minutes she came back out wearing her normal attire, she looked at Naruto who was just staring at the moon. He seemed lost at it, before tapped his shoulders. "Yo, you ready?"

"Y-yeah…" Naruto answered as they began to walk

Naruto put his hands in his pockets, before looking ahead. Yang could tell immediately that something way very off from the normally cheerful mix haired teen. "So…you wanted to talk or walk with me?"

"Do you believe in omens?" Naruto questioned as he looked at her lilac eyes before she snorted in laughter.

"No!" She laughed, "why what's up?"

"I had a nightmare…" Naruto looked at Yang with tears in his eyes, "I think my mother just died."

The blonde's next feeling was him getting slugged in the face, before Yang looked at him. "What the hell are you doing here then!"

The teen rubbed his jaw, spitting out a droplet of blood. "I didn't mean Mebuki!"

"Then who else?!" Yang screamed as she looked at the teen. "You've either been drugged or you're luring me out here!"

"Huh, wait what?!" Naruto yelled as he got up, "I'm luring you out here! I was sleeping good before I came and got you! I…I…I'm sorry."

Yang looked at him, before realizing her sudden reaction and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah…me too." She sighed as she looked at Naruto, "so your _mother_ died."

"Yes…she was killed, I think, but I don't know how. I just…I just felt something leave me, like pang in the heart you know. Like you know _instinctively_ that something has gone terribly wrong." Naruto explained as he stopped by a log. "I can't explain it."

Yang sighed, rolling her eyes and took a seat by him. "You probably just a nightmare…a really-really bad nightmare."

Naruto looked up at the moon, before looked back Yang. "It's not just that either…I had a dream where my Grandfather's grave got vandalized. I had dream of my actual dad dying, I've had all these terrible dreams in the last couple of years."

"Well…could they be repressed memories or something?" Naruto perked up at Yang's suggestion.

"You could be right…" Naruto muttered as he looked away from her, "when I was a kid…I was slave. They beat me, made me robotic, so it's possible with all this newfound happiness…I suppose it could be."

Then sudden, terrible realization hit him. "Then all…every one of my family…" his breathing became labored, "they're gone!"

Naruto got from the log, roaring out as burst of orange aura flared around him. Yang got up from the log, before grabbing his shoulder, making him turn to face her. "If they had been so…wouldn't you have been dead as well?"

Naruto looked at her, slightly calming down, before shrugging her hand of his shoulder. "I don't know…Yang, I…I'm scared."

"Scared?" Naruto nodded at her question.

"I can feel something coming, it's foreboding as Mom would put it." Naruto clenched his hands, "and my birth parents haven't been the only dreams I've had…" Naruto turned away from her, "You, Sakura, Lee, Ruby, Qrow, Taiyang, Ayame, and even Roman are all dead in them."

Yang looked at him, before backing away subconsciously, Naruto turned to face her, however her eyes widened when his eyes were red in color. He clutched his head, before screaming in utter agony. He roared out as he felt like something was burning on his gut.

* * *

Akahana had just finished sealing Kurama within, her, she was in utter agony as she vomited across the floor of her old home. On her stomach was a swirl tattoo, with four foreign drawn hieroglyphs on the opposites side of the circle.

Just outside of their home, a large bonfire held nothing but ash, which Akahana could see from her opened door.

Wrenching, she dragged herself by her elbows as Kurama finished adjusting to his seal. She coughed up blood as the seal finished before laying against the door frame. Her eyes watered as she looked at the ash that used to be her mother.

* * *

 _Outside of a house surrounded by flowers, a four-year-old girl with red hair was holding a blonde-haired boy's as she led him from the house to the garden. Behind them was tall blonde haired man, and Faunus woman._

 _She watched as both play, before looking back up at her husband. "Our future is looking up ya know…we got two strong…healthy children. They're bonded as well, so one will always be able to find the other…" the woman stated to her husband._

 _"_ _That was your work Kushina…but are we bonded with them both…just in case?" She nodded as she grabbed her husbands' hand with hers. She smiled as he looked back at him, "well what is it Ms. Lovely Eyes?"_

 _"_ _I love you…" Kushina stated as she kisses Minato._

 _"_ _Eww!" her two children roared as they turned away._

 _Kushina chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Minato ,deepening the kiss._

* * *

Naruto was rolling on the ground as he clenched his eyes, "something's wrong!" He yelled, "oh why does my stomach burn so much!"

Yang rushed over to him, before lifting his shirt up, on his stomach a tattoo had formed of a swirl mark with the hieroglyphs on opposite sides of the circle. Which led to him coughing up blood, his eyes spilled with tears as he could've sworn he saw a bonfire behind Yang.

"Naruto!" Yang yelled as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

She felt of his chest, his heartbeat had begun to slowly stop. Doing only thing she knew off, she opened his mouth, and began to provide oxygen for him as she used one hand to dial on her scroll for help. Making sure to turn on her locator.

 _"_ _Hang in there, idiot!"_ She yelled in her head.

* * *

Naruto awoke in a pure white void, looking around, he managed to see a lone redhead girl standing in the void. The two locked eyes, green meeting teal, before both noticed each other's tattoo. "Who are you?" she inquired as she looked at him.

Naruto looked around the void, before pointing at her. "Wh-who are you?"

"Akahana…" She stated as she walked towards him, the sound of her footsteps echoed. "You look familiar…"

"I don't know you…but I've seen you, in my dreams." Naruto stated as he looked at her. "Your…beautiful by the way."

The girl gained a slight blush across her face, "um…thanks." She told him before looking around. "Any idea on how to get out of here?"

"I don't know…" Naruto told her as he looked at her. "You look my mother in my dreams."

"Kushina…" She interjected.

Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. "Yeah, that's her name! Wait, are you my angel that has come to take me to them…and…oh crap! I'm dead?!"

The girl rolled her eyes, bonking the boy across her head. "No idiot!"

"Oww!" Naruto yelled, "why has this happened to me twice today!"

"I just hit you once!" She yelled at him, "I could do it twice if you don't tell me who you are!"

"I'm Naruto, alright, I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Her eyes widened as she looked at him, before she fidgeted.

"Naruto…is it, oh my Gods…it is!" She yelled as she covered her face and began sobbing. "Little brother you're alive!"

Naruto eyes widened as he looked at her, before remembering a dream where he played with a redheaded girl in a garden. "Sis-sister…no way."

The mix hair sobbed as he looked at her, before getting up from the ground. His fox ears drooped down slightly. He began to form a smile on his face, before rushing over to her and hugging her.

"Big sis!" Naruto yelled as he wrapped her up in bone crushing hug.

Suddenly, orange aura from both formed and merged. "Oi…get…off…can't…breath."

"Sorry-sorry-sorry!" Naruto yelled as he backed away, "and sorry for calling you beautiful…I didn't mean to make it weird."

"No…it's fine, we've not seen each other in twelve years…" She muttered as she looked away before she felt at something tug at them both.

Trying to wretch them back to whatever plane it needed them on.

"Looks like our time is up Naruto," She mumbled before getting a determined look in her eye, "little brother please have faith! I'll find you!"

 _"_ _three"_

"Sis…wait…" Naruto said as the white void faded to darkness.

 _"_ _two…"_

"I…I'm not…what about…" Naruto continued before feeling something press against his chest.

 _"_ _One!"_

"Mom…" Naruto's body was then rocked by an electric current that even he couldn't fathom.


	11. Chapter 11

A giant beetle flew high into the sky followed by a very large Grimm, the beetle's back tail which had it six others growing from, sprouted additional sets of wings on that tail. It turned around, launching a very powerful ray of energy from its armored mouth. **"** **Bijuu Dama!"**

The Large Grimm, a very large nevermore called a Roc, simply tucked and rolled to the side as the energy beam passed by it. It roared out as it launched its feathers, all of them spreading out like that of a shotgun. **"** **You mindless twerp!"** The beetle insulted The Roc as it dashed vertically upwards into the clouds.

Below them, another battle was raging on.

 ** _"_** ** _Have faith in us Akahana…"_** Kurama cooed inside of Akahana's head as a Giant Sea Dragon emerged and battle with an ox-octopus like giant beast.

Akahana stood up, moving her hands in an array of gestures. "Fire Art: Phantom Lanterns!" the teen yelled out as several crimson colored flames appeared behind her and dashed towards The Sea Dragon, before they each impacted in a massive explosion.

The Sea Dragon was then wrapped up by eight large tentacles before the ox-octopus appeared in front it. A black orb appeared in it, **"** **Gyuki still got it ya hear me, I'm an ancient being more so than you, so fear me yo WEEEHEEE~!"**

The Sea Dragon roared out as a large yellow beam enveloped its entire head as it blasted from the beast's mouth. A large black smoke explosion signaled its death!

Gyuki, the large ox-octopus hybrid, turned to the skies. **"** **Chomei do you need help, ya fool, ya fool!"**

The Beetle dodged to the side, it's voice much softer than that of Kurama and Gyuki simply stated **"** **No!"** before it began to spin around.

Akahana was in awe as a giant waterspout emerged from the water, about a mile wide, the water spout was so fierce that Akahana was being held down by The Giant three tailed turtle's encompassing shell as the winds rocked back and forth.

The Roc screeched violent as the winds began to tear it apart, before exploding into a giant burst of black dust.

Akahana watched as the giant waterspout dissipated, before laying back on the giant turtle's shell. "This isn't good…this is not good at all."

 ** _"_** ** _Listen to me kit, you've made off Taiyo, we're three days away from any sort of land mass. However, due to likely hood of Salem having spies in Vale, Mistral, and Atlas…we must head to Vacuo and try to contact Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon."_** Kurama told her via their bonded link as he explained it, the same link that allowed her and Naruto to briefly talk.

"Ozpin isn't as strong as mom…how can he help." Akahana muttered as he sat down on Isobu's shell. "Me, my mother, and my father were the only one's training and dabbing in the arts of the past…when aura use was more widespread…he's nowhere near me."

 ** _"_** ** _That overconfidence was the very same thing that got your mother killed…"_** Akahana's eyes widened as she felt a pang in her heart. **_"_** ** _Do well to lose it, Salem may be an ancient demoness but she isn't weakened by age…she only grows more powerful."_**

"Just how _old_ is she?" Akahana openly questioned as she looked up to see Chomei flying towards south.

Gyuki trailed underneath of Isobu, as to hide himself, and make an easy surprise attack against anything coming from above.

Kurama remained silent, a heavy sigh flooded Akahana's mind as the old beast gathered his words.

 ** _"_** ** _She's as old as the fall of the old world."_** Akahana's eyes widened as she looked back towards Taiyo, she swore that she could feel a menacing smile behind her.

"You mean when Taiyo used to have civilization on it…the old city ruins…thousands of years old?" Akahana was in disbelief at what she was hearing, "did mom even know what she was getting into?!"

 ** _"_** ** _Yes and no…Salem was always on another level compared to her peers. Back in the ancient times I trained hosts, beings that would be able to use and wield our power more effectively than someone just having us sealed inside. A symbiotic relationship, where we drew upon your lifeforce and we gave you power."_** Kurama told her as she began to be listening to his tale.

 ** _"_** ** _Salem hate for your blood stems from an ancient war that's been going off and on for the last few epochs. The fall of the world, the rise of the new world, the great war…all of them are linked to her. However, her hatred mostly pertains to me, for I was her last Bonded."_** Akahana's eyes widened.

"What do you mean _Bonded,_ you mean how brother and I are?" Kurama grunted in acknowledgement.

 ** _"_** ** _When you were born, I implanted you with a seed of my aura, my chakra and it was to jumpstart your reserves. I did the same for your brother, he probably formed his four trigrams due to the reaction of your shared aura. What you feel…he could subconsciously. You said he had dreams of you?"_** Akahana nodded.

 ** _"_** ** _Girl, those were not dreams, they were visions through your eyes. It's part of The Bond, a spiritual connection. Much like how Maidens powers are passed, a spiritual connection is formed to pass it along. Either you bare a seed of that power that draws it towards you, you become the beings' last thought, or they defeat you."_** Akahana looked downcast as she cuddled herself.

"That's why you had me kill mom…it fulfilled all three requirements." She muttered as she looked at the setting sun at the vanishing Taiyo.

 ** _"_** ** _Yes, it was security to make sure that Salem never got her soul despite having the aura. She wanted you to be the next in line anyhow, it's just…"_** Kurama gave a very heavy and saddened sigh. **_"_** ** _Even I wish things were different."_**

"You said you were bonded to Salem, why?" Akahana changed the course of the conversation back to its original focus.

That focus immediately changed as the sun behind Taiyo was blocked by something, Akahana turned to see a large landmass rising above the general location of her old town. "What…the…fuc-"

The landmass suddenly was flung at them, Gyuki emerged underneath Isobu before blowing it up with a well-placed sphere of energy. The shockwave nearly blew Akahana off Isobu, only being saved the giant turtle's quick reaction of anchoring her down with it's shell molding around her hands.

"What was that Kurama, what the hell was that?!" Akahana screamed in fear as she noticed a second mass being formed.

 ** _"_** ** _She was always persistent…she knows the tides would carry you back if you were lost to us. Salem isn't able to leave Taiyo herself, so this either her way of saying "see you later" or she's trying to kill you to draw your mother's power."_** Kurama stated as began to manifest himself around Akahana.

* * *

On Taiyo's shoreline, Salem was wearing maniacal smile as she clapped her hands. She had a pale white aura hanging around her, her red eyes had turned to a silvery color, while launched black spheres in the lands surrounding the town she was standing in.

She enjoyed…no ravished these moments, the moments where she could truly bring out her godlike powers. She cackled as she threw another sphere, a mile in total form, before throwing another. Only to watch them get blown up as she did so, and she gave a harsh look on the back of the turtle she could see even miles off the coast.

Stopping on the last one, she then turned to see a stunned man. She looked at him, "Tyrian…call a meeting."

"Yes milady." He bowed immediately before dashing off.

Salem walked towards a house, one with a dead garden, it had taken an hour to break the barrier around her old nemesis's town. No doubt multiple Great Beasts set the barrier up due to it being red in color.

Walking into the house, she noticed several things had been hastily taken, a few pictures, but some of them still laid about. She walked over to one before tracing an almost loving finger at a pregnant Kushina. "Oh dear Kushi-chan…if only would've just let me have your precious baby boy, his reincarnate…we wouldn't be in this mess."

She cackled as the picture bursts into black flames in her hands.

"Soon Uzumaki Naruto…we will meet again, for the first time in our new forms…and the last time throughout our long battle." She spoke cryptically as she walked outside.

She walked over to the bonfire, before noticing something, and almost broke down laughing. She picked up a femur bone, obviously Kushina's. "Well isn't this amusing, looks there is enough here to enact a new plan with."

She watched as the moon came into view, before falling to her knees. Her eyes widened before they dulled and Salem fell limply when she tried to reach past the garden only to hit a large black barrier.

 _"_ _Damn this curse…"_

* * *

"So, wait a minute, you were around the time Salem rose to power?" Akahana questioned as they traveled through the ocean at night.

 ** _"_** ** _Yes, and I was trainer and Bonded. Salem was born with a special property, she was the first reincarnate of someone I knew of in the past. An evil person, she was born to a simple peach farmers. So naturally, sensing her energy, I investigated."_** Kurama told her.

"Why didn't you kill her?!" Akahana screamed suddenly as she got up, "all of this is your fault!"

 ** _"_** ** _No…and how could I kill a child? Akahana, all evil people in the world were once kits. Children in your mind, free of evil but not exactly immune to it, and you're right this is my fault. I was the one to take her under my wing, from the very start, she was a natural. Able to draw chakra from the world, Senjutsu in the old tongue, and manifested abilities I thought long lost."_** Kurama told her as he took a deep breath.

 ** _"_** ** _She grew up pretty fast, she grew up to be a beautiful teenager. She was betrothed and due to marry another powerful warrior under my training. A powerful; man named Umidara Uchi, who was also a reincarnate of a redeemed soul. They were madly in love, but you see, the old world was faltering at the time."_** Kurama stated as he looked up at the moon through Akahana's eyes, remembering when it was once whole.

"You seem to have been happy with her falling in love…" Akahana muttered.

 ** _"_** ** _I was more than happy, that woman at a single point in time was like a daughter to me…but then…she began to change."_** Kurama sighed as he took in the world around them. **_"_** ** _It culminated when Umidara perished when humans grew fearful of her people, of your people."_**

"My people…what are you saying?" Akahana asked as she rubbed the whisker marks on her face.

 ** _"_** ** _Faunus, children of The Great Beasts. When we were much younger, we could take upon human forms. It was a gift from the previous of incarnation Salem."_** Kurama spoke solemnly.

"Faunus…why did people hate Faunus even now?" Akahana asked, having been fed information via other tailed beasts over the years.

 ** _"_** ** _Humanity has always hated things it could never understand, I dare say it's their fatal flaw, and never stopped. There was once an epoch of peace, that was shattered with the death of Umidara, who was set to take upon the throne that I left for him…ruler for all Faunus."_** Akahana's eyes widened before she put the pieces together.

"Umidara was your direct descendant…your kid?" She questioned only for Kurama sputter in laughter.

 ** _"_** ** _By the time Umidara came to be born, I was already eons old. He is my descendant, with a strong bit of my power and that of whom he was incarnated from. You see, Umidara was reincarnated from a woman, and ironically Salem was reincarnated from a man."_** Kurama answered before making Akahana shiver in disgust.

"What?!" She screamed.

 ** _"_** ** _Don't act too shocked, reincarnation works mysteriously. Sometimes it takes a random form, sometimes it takes a planned form. I have no doubt that this form was planned, they were destined to bring about the second epoch of peace."_** Kurama then sighed. **_"_** ** _Until Salem found herself unable to withstand the pain of the loss of Umidara, who was blamed for a disaster that befell a civilization at the time. She begged him…I begged him, but he surrendered himself."_**

"What happened to him…" Akahana already knew the answer, but it needed confirmation.

 ** _"_** ** _He was executed, without a trial, almost senselessly. Akahana understand that Salem isn't justified for her actions through this, pain begets pain, but it never makes it right to harm others. However, that civilization, I woke up the next day to find it in flames. Cold, black, and raging flames."_** Kurama closed his eyes.

* * *

 _A younger Salem, with long blonde hair screamed as she raised her hands with a city in her view. A mountain sized torrent of black flames erupted, before encompassing the entire city. Killing everything, everyone, leaving nothing._

 _She wailed as she clapped her hands together, "Chibaku Tensei!" screamed as a black orb formed in her hands._

 _The earth began scream out as it launched itself at the black sphere, she yelled as tears spilled from her eyes. "Umidara!" she screeched in agony as she made black flames form around the massive chunk of rounded earth before slamming it into the city._

 _Very buildings withstood the impact, but they were covered in a sea of black flames. Wailing, she flailed her arms about wildly, anywhere her head turned and her eyes gazed upon, was turned into more of the black flames._

 _A loud rumble came from behind her, she turned, just in time to see a shock Kurama._

 ** _"_** ** _What have you done…_** " _He muttered in shock and saw Salem weeping before her gaze turned to him._

 _"_ _You let him march to his death!" She screamed as she blew the nine-tailed fox away._

 _Kurama was sent skidding across the ground as Salem flew into the air. She hovered, before looking at the destroyed city. Only for Kurama to launch himself at her, grab hold of her._ _ **"**_ _ **Daughter please!"**_ _he begged as she blasted his hands away._

 _"_ _Do not ever say that word to me fath-Kurama. My old reincarnate would be ashamed of you to have allowed someone so close to march to their death! I hate you…I hate this world…I hate humanity. I renounce The Savior's Decree!" She screamed as she spilled tears from her eyes._

 _Her eyes becoming blood red as they bled, before she wailed in pain. No sooner than she had truly renounced her faith, a dark power emanated from her. She screamed out as the moon turned red behind her, before several figures coated in various colored cloaks of energy appeared behind her._

 _They all were accompanied by The Great Beasts._

 _Kurama looked at her before a single tear trailed down his face, before he openly wept._ _ **"**_ _ **Salem…you've forced this! Nine Holy Beast Formation!"**_

 _Salem looked around, before she growled, more dark energy shot off her and began to land in various parts of the land around her. Forming dark pools of energy as the result, she raged as chains suddenly came, grabbing her soul._

 _"_ _My hatred for this world will never know a mortal boundary, I sever my soul from my previous incarnates. I am now a demoness, a goddess, and a deal of death. My power will wreak havoc upon this world, this Remnant, my heart in pieces…so too will this worl-_ _ **aaaaahhhh!"**_ _She screamed as her body was pulled separate from her soul._

 _However, what everyone didn't count on, was that of a massive burst of dark energy launching everywhere. Landing in oceans, different continents, and different biomes. Salem's sole, now on the ground cackled as she looked at herself in a puddle of water._

 _All alone._

 _"_ _Destroyer God…Creation God…hear me. I Salem…daughter of none break away from cycle to fulfill your deeds. Humanity has failed, failed for the last time, I Salem will now rest but my will live on. My power, will give creation only to give rise to destruction. I am Salem…Goddess of Death." She mumbled in prayer before green glow emanated across the entirety of the land before her._

 ** _"_** ** _I bound your soul to Taiyo, for now and forever…goodbye Salem."_** _Kurama stated as he charged a ball of energy in mouth along with other tailed beasts as their hosts each looked on with mixed emotions._

 _All of anger or sadness._

 _"_ _I will rise again, Lord Kurama, death will give me power." She spoke before her soul was seemingly obliterated._

* * *

Akahana just sat there, awed at the monster she was before now, before she spoke openly. "Is she _that s_ trong now?"

 ** _"_** ** _What you saw was one-tenth her power when she hurled those mile sized boulders at us. Back in her prime she was almost as strong as her previous incarnate at his prime, your mother knew what she was getting into, but she didn't think she'd have so much difficulty. I fooled myself even, in this old age, to think that I stood a chance against her form."_** Kurama spoke as Akahana looked at the moon.

"How did she gain a new form then, if you obliterated her soul?" She questioned as some of things he said didn't make sense to her.

Too many holes in the story.

 ** _"_** ** _We thought we had…but turns out, her soul was just a strong as her previous incarnates, a soul that took hundreds of years after the body's death to dissipate. We were foolish to blind ourselves with false hope of her death, throughout her genocide march, she wailed like a screaming ghost. Appearing from one city to the next, destroying them. If she had continued…all of humanity…and likely all of Faunus would've been killed off in her rage."_** Kurama explained as he looked at upon the moon through Akahana's eyes.

 ** _"_** ** _The reason she able to manifest in physical form…is something me and your mother both have been investigating for the last ten years. Still, to this day, we cannot find a reason why…"_** Kurama told her before he growled.

"What's wrong?" Akahana asked as she felt his chakra flare.

 ** _"_** ** _Kushina's soul is not where it's supposed to be!"_** He roared out as manifested himself outside of Akahana.

 **"** **Salem!"** he roared out in a rage. **"** **What have you done!"**

The voice echoed throughout the ocean, almost like that of a volcanic eruption.

* * *

Naruto laid in the hospital bed, he was on oxygen support. His heart having nearly given out through the intense pain he felt. His eyes twitched, and his body jerked every now and then. He felt fear like no other, a menacing power over him.

The Haruno family were in the room with him, along with a gray-haired man with cane.

That's when, after one sudden jerk, his eyes snapped open.

 _"_ _Whe-where am I?"_ Naruto questioned as he looked around, seeing his family off to the side.

"Oh, thank God, Naruto you're awake!" Mebuki exclaimed as she ran over and hugged him. Stopping him as he reached for the tube in his throat, "don't Naruto, we'll get the doctors to come in and take it out. You had a heart attack."

 _"_ _No way…"_ Naruto looked around before noticing the other man in the room. _"_ _Whose he…that's not Qrow…or Taiyang…wait a minute Yang."_

Naruto slightly blushed at the feeling of her lips against his, even if it was to save his life. _"_ _Is she okay?"_

"Welcome back Mr. Uzumaki, oh and happy birthday." The gray-haired man said as he crossed his arms.

 _"_ _Birthday…but that means I've been out for almost a month."_ Naruto figured up only to see Hasu laying against his side.

"My name is Ozpin…we've got much to discuss once you're out of the hospital. I'm merely here to inform you as such. Until then, I'm sorry to do this to you, but I must take your family outside." Ozpin, the man with the cane stated, he looked towards Mebuki and Kizashi who both nodded.

"Sakura will remain here with you, please rest son." Kizashi walked over to Naruto and ruffled his hair.

The two adults walked outside, leaving Naruto with Sakura, who walked over to him. She looked like she had been crying, but when he looked down he noticed the tattoo from before.

All in all, it was glowing or burning like it was, but the symbol danced around in his mind. Because, the sister he dreamed of, had the same exact symbols on her stomach as well.


	12. Chapter 12: Waking up to a new world

"Ruto-Ruto!" Hasu cheered as Naruto weakly picked him up, he had just been released from the hospital. Given some medication to relieve the pain in his chest. "Brother Ruto okay?"

"I'm fine Hasu." Naruto smiled as he slowly walked towards the family car. "Glad to see you're still liking me more than Sakura.

When everyone, but Naruto stopped looking at Sakura, she looked him dead in the eye before flipping him the bird. He chuckled lightly, her scowl quickly turned into a soft smile as she got the door for him. "I have to put Hasu in his seat ya know, c'mon little brother."

"Noo!" Hasu bawled, "I want Ruto!"

"He's been quite vocal over the last month you've been out Naruto, also we got you some presents at home." Mebuki said as she got to the driver's side of the car. "Ain't that right dear."

"Well, you could say they're all a knock out. Eh?" Kizashi threw a pun only for everyone to look at him with a flat face.

"Really dad?"  
"Honey…just…no…"  
"Well...love you too."  
"Boo!"

"Ah c'mon, that was gold!" Kizashi complained only to get barked at Mebuki.

"No, it wasn't!" She screams as she started up the car and watched as Hasu was put into his car seat by Sakura.

The Uzumaki just weakly rolled the window down, before resting his head against the car seat. "Oh, and Naruto everyone at school made you a get-well card."

"Yeah, oh, and Yang and Ruby got to pick out the card. Did you know that Ruby is quite handy at designing things?" Naruto eyed Kizashi with almost plea.

"Please…no…tell me she didn't design the card." He drawled.

"Aww, it looked so cute to, she basically photoshopped your head onto an animated fox. She called a Ruto-Imagery-Package. Wait…bwahahahaha!" Kizashi howled as he noticed something that she had told him.

"Oh God…take me back…please." Naruto groaned as he pinched his nose, "head's killing me, my chest is killing me…everything is killing me. Even my semblance is trying to kill me."

"Semblance?!" Mebuki, Sakura, and Kizashi looked at Naruto.

"Since when?!" Sakura yelled as she looked accusingly at Naruto.

"Um…you know the tattoo on my stomach?" Naruto questioned them, only for them to look at him like he had grown a second head.

Couldn't they see it?

"Um…okay Naruto." Sakura murmured as she looked at her parents, before rolling her eyes.

"Anyway…that Ozpin guy, who is he?" Naruto asked as he tried to relax more in the car.

"He's the headmaster at Beacon Naruto…and he is wanting to talk to you." Mebuki answered him as she merged onto town road. "By the way…did you know we're in Vale City?"

His eyes bugged out, before shot up, before grunting in pain. "Naruto! Calm down, relax, we've not run into that Roman guy." Sakura reassured him as she sighed.

"Oh…well, guys, um could we perhaps take a detour somewhere?" Naruto asked as he looked out the window, before looking at street signs.

"Where too?" Mebuki cheerfully asked, "somewhere to eat?"

"Home…" Naruto muttered lowly.

Mebuki and Kizashi looked at him, before looking at each other and nodding.

* * *

"Ya!" a cloak figure yelled as she road upon a horse in the desert.

 ** _"_** ** _Vacuo City should be near, we've crossed The Ikari Desert in record time."  
_** "Yeah, thanks to Shukaku."  
 ** _"_** ** _Even old age he's still groovy."_**  
"Oh god…please no…don't use that word again."  
 ** _"_** ** _We've traveling for a month together, I've taught you The Rasangan. At least humor me once, and laugh at my puns."  
_** "That's the thing Kurama…they're nothing to laugh at."  
 ** _"_** ** _touché brat…touché."_**

The horse stopped near some rocks, before Akahana got off, and looked to see a small watering hole. Sighing, she walked over to it fill up her canteen. "My contact from Talon should be here soon, you know the village we passed on the way in."

 ** _"_** ** _Yes, I remember, Talon Village is an older village. One of the few military outposts set up in the new world after aura started becoming more widespread again. Someone is here."_** Kurama stated as Akahana moved to grab her sword.

"Fire Lilies also bloom under darkness…" A male voice sounded out from behind a rock.

"Just as well as under The Moonlight." Akahana let a smile cross her face. "You must be my mother's old contact."

"No," the holder of the voice stepped out from behind the rock shielding him. "I'm the son of the old contact."

Akahana observed him. He was tall, wearing a white t-shirt with armor plating around his vital areas. He had a katana at his back, angled downwards to make it easier to draw from behind. His onyx eyes observed her, before a smile also graced his lips.

"Sasuke Uchiha…at your service." The teen said as he ravenlike hair waived in the wind.

"Akahana Uzumaki," she greeted him with a regal nod, "you're aware you are escorting a Maiden correct?"

"My family has done so in the past, from the only other Maiden we've had the pleasure of escorting is Spring." Sasuke answered. "By the way you're relaxed, I reckon you know about how close knit our families is with each other."

"No, but Kurama does." Akahana answered.

"The Fox Lord?" Sasuke was surprised only to focus on her belly, which made her blush until his eyes turned red. "I can see the seal, he's within you."

 ** _"_** ** _Even thousands of years, your family's eyes still leave me unsurprised Uchiha."_** Kurama stated in the mind of Sasuke.

"Why don't you appear to him Kurama?" Akahana suggested as she heart him snort.

 ** _"_** ** _I've no reason to…plus I'm drained."_** Kurama stated as he grunted. **_"_** ** _Making you get up to speed was difficult, expanding your reserves more so."_**

"Alright, enough, down to business." Sasuke stated as he walked over to Akahana. "You've got the relic with you correct?"

"Yes." She answered as she showed him the necklace.

Sasuke nodded, "alright then." He then put his hand up to his ear, before sighing. "Stand down."

Kurama gasped once he saw dozens of similar black hair people standing around rocks, coming out of some sort of cloak. Sasuke crossed his arms, before looking at her. "Due to the nature of the escort and with active hostiles…some of which can hide appearances I took every precaution to make sure you were who you said were."

"I understand." Akahana agreed with Sasuke as she looked at the small platoon surrounding them. "Who are they?"

"Well, Uzumaki, this is The Uchiha Military Company. They dye their hair to look like us, because we treat them like family. You're lucky I so happened to be in Vacuo when I got the call that a Maiden was needing escort. So, assuming you're the Maiden, that means your mother is dead." Sasuke summarized.

"Yes." Akahana growled as she clenched her fists. "Salem killed her."

Smirking, Sasuke gave a brief chuckle, "I guess The Uchiha will raise their sword once more…"

Sasuke reached behind him, raising his sword into the air, causing the people around him to roar out.

"No…" Akahana said as they stopped and looked at her. "A big army won't work…not right now at least. Sasuke, I've seen what Salem is capable of, and who knows whose working for her. But, please take in consideration of this, I need your help finding my brother."

"His name?" Sasuke inquired as he clicked his sword into the sheath.

"Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. It's likely he didn't forget his surname." Akahana stated, "and I know he's alive."

"I'll pull some strings." Sasuke said as he walked towards her before extending out his hand.

She grasped hold of it, and shook it.

"Done." She stated.

* * *

Naruto and his family pulled up to a bunch of renovated apartments. Naruto looked around, he was stunned to see The Forgotten Quarter look so clean. "Where are we?" Sakura asked a she looked around.

"Home…" Naruto simply stated as he got out of the car, weakly walking towards the old apartments.

The mixed hair teen got his bearings, walking around, remembering the apartments when they were all run down. Slowly, shakenly, he walked towards the apartments he lived in as a child with his grandfather.

He also took note of the amount of Faunus living in the area, which was more compared to when he was kid years ago. Slowly he walked up the steps, coming to his old apartment door. Naruto looked down at where he had been sitting when the police came that night to investigate his call.

Slowly, he brought himself to knock on the door.

The door opened, revealing the landlord, who recognized Naruto. She looked at him, covering her mouth. "As I live and breathe…Uzumaki." She mumbled, stunned at seeing at the young man before her. "It's been ages boyo…"

"Ms. Calstone…" Naruto turned to see his family at the car. "You've…I…"

"Oh, hush now dear." She waived some white hair from her face. "You should know…well you could look around; The Forgotten Quarter is no longer forgotten. Turns out your testimony against Roman…well it changed this place a lot…for the better."

Naruto's eyes welled up as he looked around, before sniffling a little bit. "Thank you…" he muttered. "For sitting with me that night, talking to me as they took grandpa out."

The woman brought her hands around the boy, suddenly broke down in sobs as he clutched round her as well. "Oh, hush now…don't be going all teary and sappy on me. An old woman can't afford sadness at this age."

After a few minutes, Naruto stopped before wiping his eyes. "Do you mind coming with me really quick…I want you to meet someone."

The old woman nodded, getting her walker as she walked outside with the teen. The teen helped her down the steps to where his family was. The woman chuckled as she looked at Sakura, and then back to Naruto.

Seeing a little boy in the back seat, along with too older adults. "Did'ja get married so early kid?"

Naruto eyes went wide for a moment, before rubbing the back of his head. "N-n-no. Ms. Calstone. This is the nurse at the orphanage, the one that saved my life. She…adopted me afterwards. I've had a good life…led a good life."

The old man looked at them, before smiling. "Oh my…you got an old woman gushing. Naruto was sweet as a boy, but that bas-I mean monster Roman kept him tied down." She turned to Naruto who was wearing some hospital clothing. "You get yourself beat up kiddo?"

"Oh…" Naruto forgotten he was in hospital clothing. "No, actually, I had something happy to me that led to having a heart attack."

"All that ramen is bad for you." Sakura interjected and pointed, making Naruto look at her before growling.

"I keep telling ya ramen had nothing to with it ya know!" Naruto argued as he turned to the old land lady, before smiling at her. "She's my sister by the way."

"Well miss, sorry for the assumption about Naruto being your man…say Naruto how old you?" She asked.

"Fifteen…as of yesterday, when I woke up." Naruto answered as he stretched a little bit to get the stiffness out of his arms.

"He was in a coma for nearly a month." Sakura cleared it up as she walked over to him, "he just got released today."

"Oh, I see." Ms. Calstone said as he looked at Naruto before rubbing one of his cheeks.

 _S_ he closed her eyes.

 _A lone child stood in the rain, before looking up to see an elderly lady walking towards him. "Here lad, don't catch yourself a cold."_

 _Naruto felt something wrap around him, his blonde hair became hidden by a hood, he looked up to see an old woman standing with him. "Thanks…miss."_

 _"_ _Calstone, call me Ms. Calstone lad. Shows respect, why you are standing out here for?" She inquired as she noticed several men across the street looking at them._

 _"_ _I can't s-say." The boy stuttered before his fox ears drooped slightly. "but, thank you."_

 _"_ _No problem kiddo, by the way, if you're living with Hiruzen like I think you are I'm your land lady. I live in the apartment next to you." She said. "Would you like to get some tea with me?"_

 _"_ _S-sure…when?" Naruto inquired as he looked around._

 _"_ _Tonight, when you're done here…I'm a night owl see, and I don't sleep very well." Naruto smiled at what she said before nodding._

"You've grown good boy…tell me are you keeping that promise of becoming a Hunter?" Naruto nodded as he took one of her frail hands.

He nodded, "I always keep my word Ms. Calstone. I never thanked you enough back then…"

"Heh, but good deeds shouldn't be expected to be met with praise. Because, then what's the point of it?" She inquired as she began to walk towards a bench.

"Ms. Calstone!" a child called over, Naruto watched as two children.

One with a fox tail, and one that was a normal human run about. "You okay?" the human boy asked.

"Oh, yes dear, I'm just reminiscing with an old friend here." She pointed at Naruto, "what do you need?"

"Oh, nothing mam, we're just investigating." The fox boy answered before turning to Naruto. the fox boy's auburn hair blew in the wind.

They both stared at each other for a moment.

"Oi, ya gotta staring problem!" the fox boy yelled as he cracked his knuckles.

"No-no…just never seen another fox Faunus in a while." Naruto answered as he sheepishly brought his hands up. "What's your names?"

"I'm Jessie, and this ball fire here is my best friend Iko." The human pointed out, making the fox boy pout.

"So much for keeping our names secret to strangers." Iko grumbled as he crossed his arms. "Oi, Jessie, you ready for another spar?"

"Spar?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, spar, you know that things Hunters in training do!" Iko yelled as looked towards Jessie, "and heck yeah!"

"So, you're wanting to become a Hunter…" Naruto said as he looked at them both.

"Yep!" they both said in unison. "you wanting to spar with us? Bet you can't handle us, we're the perfect duo we are!"

Naruto smirked, before walking away from everyone. "Alright then, but let me just show what I'm working with."

He took a moment before he tried to unleash his aura, but something was wrong he couldn't.

Everyone looked at him, before he looked back at them. "Something's wrong…I can't use my aura."

"What?!" everyone said, before the kids started to look at each other.

"You mean…you were going to show us what an aura looks like?" Naruto nodded at Jessie's question.

"It just feels like…I don't, somethings blocking it." Naruto stated as he tried again, without success.

Sakura bore a sad frown on her face, _"_ _did his aura system shut down…due the coma?"_

Kizashi looked at Naruto, before realizing, "hey Naruto try drawing out all of it at once. You know, like ripping a band aid!"

"Huh?" Naruto looked at him, before looking at Mebuki.

She looked back at him, before smiling and grabbing Hasu to watch. "Go on dear…try it."

Naruto took a deep breath, and went into his subconscious.

* * *

He opened his eyes to the black void around him, looking around, he noticed that there was no longer a small bit of fire in his hands. Frowning, he softly hummed, before trying to reach out anywhere in the void.

That's when he felt something crawl over him, he watched as tiny sparks of light flowed around his entire being. Slowly, but surely, a small flame like the one before appeared in his hand. "Guess dad's on to something, I've haven't practice you in a month so this must be a reawakening of sorts." Naruto stated his thought openly.

However, what happened next made him question that as the flame got bigger…and bigger.

Naruto's eyes widened as he got consumed by the flame, but it did not burn him, nor do any harm. It calmed him, before he heard a voice.

His own as a child, along with his grandfather.

 _"_ _Why do you want to be a Hunter?"_ a ghostly image of his grandfather appeared along with his younger self. _"_ _Do you know that's dangerous work?"_

 _"_ _I don't care…"_ young Naruto muttered, _"_ _because I would gladly protect everyone I care about now…and in the future. Like you did."_

 _"_ _Is that so…well then, state your Hunter's promise."_ Naruto eyes widened at that.

Images of Emerald and he appeared as they hung out.  
Images of him and Sakura arguing but also hugging appeared.  
Images of him and his grandfather playing checkers.  
Images of Hasu laughing and playing with him.  
Images of Ruby and Yang training with him.  
Images of Ayame, Kizashi, and Mebuki all talking over a bowl of ramen.

 _"_ _My Hunter's promise is to never go back on my word, and protect the ones I cherish most!"_ Young Naruto stated with pride. _"_ _Till the day, I die!"_

The flames all swirled around Naruto, before the images themselves all were in view. Naruto felt a tear slip down on his eye as he remembered his dream where they were all lying dead in front of him. He shook, with anger and determination!

Suddenly, he felt a rush power that before now, he could only dream of!

* * *

Outside of his subconscious, everyone watched as strange event occurred. Orange flamelike aura jumped off Naruto as they seem to lack form, the air began to screech as the orange slowly turned to a golden.

They watched as clapped his hands together, a resounding boom of energy was the result as the energy seem to stabilize around him. Everyone watched as the underside of his shirt fluttered upwards, where a seal appeared in an orange flow.

Slowly, but surely the seal malformed and began to stretch.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, revealing red irises before he roared out. Everyone was stunned by the sudden wave of pressure. Slowly, but surely, Naruto's aura slowly leaked out to form a red over shield of sorts. It was thick, obscuring some of himself in some areas. However, the biggest change was that instead of his being mixed, it was solid yellow.

Reverting to its original color when he was a younger teen and child.

Naruto himself felt as though something had awoken within, he felt light, very light. He weighed close to one hundred and twenty, but this sudden feeling of lightness made him less that a pound. His eyes, glowing crimson red, seemed electric as the power washed over him.

Behind him, an intangible tail had formed, almost bubblelike in nature. It swayed like a natural tail would, which caused some people to stop and look at him. Jessie and Iko were stunned, they both looked at each other before gushing over Naruto.

Naruto smiled as he looked at his hands, which grown claws, but barely longer than his fingernails. His whisker marks had deepened on his face, becoming solid black lines. Slowly taking a deep breath, Naruto's aura died down, back to nothing.

He lurched forward, coughing heavily, before finally regaining himself. His sudden burst of energy had sent his body's activities skyrocketing, his heart was beating…healthy even, in his chest. Giving everyone a look.

Everyone looked at him, before he looked at kids. "Still want that spar?"


	13. Chapter 13: Rememberance

Naruto walked with a solemn look on his face up a hill, he had changed into black clothing for the occasion. He carried in his hands a bunch of sunflowers.

* * *

 _A younger Naruto walked besides an older man walking up a hill, in his hands was a bunch of sunflowers. The two were walking towards a small grave stone under an old oak tree. The small gravestone read "_ _ **Biwaku's golden rule, love every moment"**_ _on it_ _ **.**_

 _Tiny leafs danced around them as fall began setting in, the young boy's cloak fluttered in the wind. "Naruto, this is Biwaku." Hiruzen said as he knelt at the grave. "You would be calling her grandmother if she was still alive."_

 _"_ _What was she like?" Naruto inquired as he slowly placed the sunflowers on her grave._

 _"_ _She was light, almost like that of a sun. She's hard to explain really, just like love, you never know who will light up your world. However, when it happens, the feeling you gain from it can't be found anywhere else." Hiruzen told him as he sighed before rubbing the gravestone. "One day, Naruto, I'll be here."_

 _Naruto gave him a solemn looked, before smiling a little bit. "I read in a book that when you're buried next to the ones you love…you reunite."_

 _"_ _That is true Naruto, I don't know if you can feel it, but those with strong aura can sense things around them. I've seen many things my boy, things that can't be explained, but I can see light approaching on the distance." Hiruzen spoke knowingly as he kept rubbing the gravestone. "I don't think death is the end…I think it's just another step."_

 _Naruto stood there, before having a lone tear travel down his face before he too placed his hand on the gravestone._

* * *

Naruto stood there, at the gravestones, both equally small under the oak tree. Naruto felt leafs scatter around him, he slowly laid the sunflowers equally across both graves. Sinking to his knees, slowly, he looked at them.

"Hey grandpa…grandma." Naruto started as he looked at the graves. "I'm sorry if it's been a while."

Several birds flew from the tree as Naruto spoke. He looked at them, before taking a deep breath and smiling slightly. "I may never have met you grandma…but I wish I had. Grandpa was a good man, he took care of me when I was younger. He taught me what it meant to always protect those you cared about, and always repay the debts you owe people."

Whimpering slightly, he looked at the gravestones. "It's been a mix going, sometimes I take the correct steps, and sometimes I stumble. However, I believe I'm doing right. I went to the old apartments, they've really changed." Naruto said as he shook slightly as he looked at them both. "I'm still sorry Grandpa…if I had known I was giving you the wrong medication, you could probably see me to grow up."

"I've met amazing people, I'm a big brother now too, Hasu. Hasu is a strong kid, strong in aura as you would say to me, if he continues the family tradition I may have a rival for the best Huntsman in the group." Naruto chuckled slightly. "I'm strong now, I recent beat Yang Xiao-Long the best fighter in Signal supposedly. Though, I aim to change that."

Naruto chuckled some more as he brought out his scroll. He flipped through some pictures of him and a few of his friends hanging out. Him and Lee eating noodles together in a mock war of noodle eating. Yang sitting off to the side with her sister ruby, and Naruto flipped the images over to where he dumped his noodles onto Yang while draping an arm Ruby with a peace sign.

All of them smiling, save for Yang who had red eyes, and had already drawn back to punch Naruto.

"It was during Yang's seventeenth birthday party…there was another girl, Emerald. She was an old friend from when I was younger, she had stopped in." Naruto smiled as he rubbed the back of his head with a blush. "I'm afraid Grandpa that even though you may had liked her, it wouldn't probably be nothing more than friendship. She's always in one place or another. However, that's okay, it's life I guess."

Naruto sighed as he flipped the images over to Hasu. The boy's blonde hair having grown shoulder length, his bright green eyes filled with happiness. Naruto smiled proudly, "this is my little brother Hasu, and the girl next to him is my sister Sakura."

"They've been driving forces in my life, I fight and train to one day protect them as best as I can. I'm still trying to unlock my semblance, but I can feel it…it's close." Naruto said as he brushed some moss of the graves. "I'm sorry guys, I haven't been here much…but Roman's not coming back to town I think. There is a Faunus population now, and Nathan's old store got took over by one. Remember him, he's the guy that sold me the faulty medicine."

Naruto took a deep breath, before smiling. "Well guys." Naruto got up and dusted himself off. "I guess this is goodbye for now, and I don't want you all to worry. Because, one day Grandpa…Grandma, I'll be there with you both. Grandpa…without I'd never have the dream of being a Hunter. So…So…" Naruto started to cry with a smile on his face.

"I'll achieve my dream, I'll make it to where Grimm are gone. I'll bring peace back to Remnant." Naruto told him as he sobbed with his smile starting to fade. "I love you guys so much, so much…it hurts me every day thinking about you guys. However, I'm a young man now…I'm stronger than I was as a kid. So, guys, I'll be going to Beacon. I'll be the best I can be, I'll be unstoppable."

A sapling dropped into Naruto's palm, before he smiled and looked at the graves. "That's my Hunter's promise."

Mebuki, Kizashi, and Sakura watched as Naruto walked down from the graveyard. He had a bright smile on his face with tears glistening in response to the sunlight breaking through the clouds. Naruto slowly walked, before holding his fist into the air.

Kizashi did the same, so did Sakura, Mebuki had a quiver in her lip as she wiped away one single tear that fell.

* * *

Akahana was standing on a balcony of inn, around her was nothing but mountain and desert. She sighed as she looked at the stars in the night sky. "Do you think Naruto would even want to know?"

 ** _"_** ** _Hmm?"_** Kurama hummed in her head.

"We're almost out of Vacuo, soon to enter Mistral. It's been a few days travel, and I'm starting to wonder. What if he has a happy life, with a family, free of this war." Akahana spoke as her red hair waived in the wind. "What if this journey to find him does him more harm than good?"

 ** _"_** ** _Akahana, this war cannot be won without the reunification of all the artifacts. The Necklace of Light is just one of four. There is the Elemental Fan, the armor of shadows, and the symbol of moon and sun. All of them will only respond to Naruto or Salem. Salem cannot be afforded more power, either we bring him into the fold or the world falls. The four relics can break the seal on Taiyo…and she'll be free to do her purge once more."_** Kurama stated in a growl. **_"_** ** _Even holding one of the relics is not enough, she knows how to get out, she absorbed that knowledge from your father."_**

"Why did you let him go off to die!" Akahana yelled as she gripped her head. "You sit here and say that Naruto is the key, that my little brother is the only one! What if he doesn't want to risk a happy life, what if I don't want to tear him away from a happiness that he deserves! Sometimes a beautiful lie is better than a comforting truth…"

Kurama was silent, before sighing in her head, before manifesting as a small nine tailed fox kit in front of her. **"** **I told him, begged him like I did with Umidara. He still went, saying that if he could find a weakness in Salem that'd I know…and he did."** Kurama jumped up, snatching the necklace off Akahana's neck.

He hobbled as he landed, he was still missing his left arm.

 **"** **Her weakness is her previous incarnate, her previous life's chakra. Do you think she'll stop with you? No, she'll go after him, and without warning his life will be snuffed out."** Kurama told her before sighing. **"** **She's invulnerable to others aura but her own."**

"You mean…Naruto…" Akahana sighed before she clenched her hands. "What about _that_ sealing technique…do you think it could work?"

 **"** **It's suicide."** Kurama said as he looked at her. **"** **I promised your mother that'd you grow into a woman to bare kits, not a vessel for suicide."**

"What other choice do we have, besides what if my brother is much weaker than I am?" Akahana said doubting what she felt earlier. "He can't enter your combined form, he can't do anything that we can do together right now. Our best bet for ending this war is marching back there, you teaching me _it_ and I giving myself to stop all of this."

 **"** **There's no guarantee it will work Akahana, her powers may be too much. She's on a divine level."** Kurama said as he shook slightly. **"** **I liken her more to an ancient enemy than a previous incarnate of your brother."**

"Who?" Akahana asked as they made their way over to the fire to warm up.

 **"** **Kaguya..."** Kurama muttered before closing his eyes. **"** **Divine retch of a woman, powerful chakra, powerful potential. She wasn't always murderous, in fact she used to love and be normal like everyone else. However, she became corrupted with power. Power that she tried twice to destroy humanity with."**

"Are you sure my brother's previous incarnate was Salem…what about this Kaguya then." She looked at Kurama as he looked up at the moon.

 **"** **It would have been thrice if it wasn't for a previous incarnate of Sasuke."** Akahana's eyes widened tremendously.

"Isn't he aware?" Akahana asked as Kurama looked up at her and nodded.

 **"** **Uchiha Sasuke is aware of his own destiny, that destiny is to unite men under his banner to help Naruto. Naruto's destiny…is an end."** Kurama said solemnly as he reached into the fire, before separating into nine pieces. **"** **You see the flame has been separated, cut off from each other. Slowly these flames will wither and fade away. Naruto has been reincarnated only once previously to this one. Salem. The irony here is that Sasuke in a previous life and I hated each other…and yet he turned out to be my first born…Kibo."**

"How did Kibo die?" Akahana questioned as she looked Kurama.

 **"** **Old age, since he had only part of my chakra, he wouldn't live long as would. However, him and his brothers and sisters…cousins, all gave rise to Faunus during the ancient times. I am frankly fearing that because my arm isn't regenerating that my time is near as well."**

Akahana eyes watered up, before sighing. "So…when you die, what happens?"

 **"** **Divine beasts that are destroyed only reform later. It's no different than a phoenix, but unlike a phoenix we lose our power…slowly forced to regain them back."** Kurama said as he sighed. **"** **The process of reformation takes decades."**

"So, if you die, what can Naruto do…what can I do?" Kurama looked at her, before looking at the moon.

 **"** **If I die, my powers will remain with you, but after that point you must call a meeting for the tailed beasts."** Kurama instructed as he looked at her. **"** **If my reincarnation doesn't take place then my powers would have been absorbed into you, making you the new Nine Tailed Fox."**

Akahana nodded, "that's fine with me. Just, what happens now…"

 **"** **We quit delaying, we find Naruto, we train him…we find the relics."** Kurama stated before hearing a footstep and looked to see Sasuke coming out of his tent.

He was bare chested as he walked towards the fire, he looked at Kurama, before smiling. "So, I guess you know we'll be leaving after dawn."

She nodded as Sasuke looked enter eyes. "You know your destiny already?"

"Yes, but I don't believe in such." Kurama gave Sasuke a blank stare. "I believe we all make our own destiny, a destiny that we carve out for ourselves. I rather seek peace, if I could, I'd do like you would, end this."

"Kurama, do you believe it's even possible to end her, even with Naruto's full supposed power?" Kurama looked at them, before sighing.

 **"** **Naruto's power isn't his own, he draws it off others, his will to protect those around him transcends time. Salem was corrupted by it, when she did her purge, it was mostly against humans. She viewed as a threat to her people, but rather settle things, she chose to finalize things."** Kurama told them but then gave another heavy sigh. **"** **Honestly without people uniting…Naruto doesn't stand much of a chance."**

"Do you think we can do this?" Sasuke inquired as he twiddled his thumbs. "This war is coming to a close soon either way."

 **"** **I do not know…"** Kurama stated as he looked around before looking at the broken moon. **"** **Kaguya was always relatable to Naruto. Her powers, powers she used to protect, corrupted. She was so scared of her own having the same powers because she feared they may use them to harm her or harm others. An ancient being fed of those, and used her accordingly."**

"The Shinju, my family still holds record of supposed God Tree." Sasuke said as he looked right into Kurama's eyes.

 **"** **The Shinju is a holy power, where itself breeds life around it, it does so by absorbing said life around. A never-ending cycle, without end, until the water runs dry. Naruto for right now is safe I believe, she believes that he died during the attack of the village of Konohana in Taiyo."** Kurama said, before looking at Akahana. **"** **She had just reformed her solid body, she was significantly weaker."**

Everyone sat there, before looking around. "There isn't much hope is there?" Akahana finally said as she looked right at Kurama.

 **"** **Hope my dear, hope is something only you yourself can measure. I truly believe that as long as there is a smidgen of light in the eternal darkness…one day it will become everlasting light."** Kurama said as he slowly flowed back into Konohana.

 ** _"_** ** _Have faith child."_**

* * *

Naruto was currently sitting down inside of an office, looking at Ozpin across from him. "So, Naruto, do you figured out why I've called you here?"

"No I haven't sir." Naruto answered as he took a sip of the tea that was given to him.

"I've called you in here to discuss the future, how it's forever changing, and what I can do for yours." Ozpin said as he held a folder in his hand. "These documents here are you school records. Academically, you're not special, in fact your plain average."

Naruto looked downcast for a moment, before looking up at the man with a smile. "I suck at book stuff, I've been more hands on, ask anyone."

"I have, you're telling the truth on the matter. In fact, Naruto, is it true that combat wise that you're second only to miss Xiao-Long?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head at the man's question.

"Yeah, sort of, I beat her the first a month ago…before you know, coma happened." Naruto answered as Ozpin lightly chuckled as he sipped his coffee.

"Well Mr. Uzumaki, you're combat training is what interests me. Rather, what interests me, is your ability to learn simply by doing. You've went from a scrawny little street urchin, to a top in your class in a little over six years. That's quite a feat, you must've dedicated yourself to this profession."

"I have sir, every day I train, even if it's a little bit. My adoptive family is my driving force, I'd do anything to grow strong enough to protect them!" Naruto loudly told Ozpin as he put his tea down. "I swore it on my grandfather's grave that I'd be the best there ever was."

Ozpin pursed his lips, he was impressed by the boy's words. By God, with his enthusiasm he believed the mix haired boy was capable. "So, Naruto, can you tell me about your reasons behind a cast aura reserve…and incredible control? They're sited in your documents."

"It comes naturally to me, I could never explain it, but once I hit the ground running with it…it just seems to fall into place is all." Naruto answered as he nervously looked around. "Am I in trouble or something?"

"On the contrary…Mr. Uzumaki. How would you like to become a student in my academy?" Ozpin inquired as Naruto's mouth fell open.

His heart thumped, he quivered slightly, before looking at Ozpin with a quivering smile. "Y-you're not serious, because that's not funny ya know. "Naruto looked at him with a few tears spilling down his face. "I'm honored."

"Oh, I am being quite serious, you're very talented. Your adoptive sister Sakura has applied to go to my academy as well. I see you both feed off each other, so I would like to see that continue. Naruto what I'm offering is an opportunity, a chance to grasp at the dream you've wanted for so long." Ozpin spoke with a regal tone. "If you choose to accept, I'll be the one honored to have a natural talent."

"Okay, Mr. Ozpin, I have only one request!" Naruto excitedly said as he got out his scroll, before showing him a picture of Lee. "Lee contrary to what most of his teachers believes is a capable guy. He's not good on the books like me, but he's stands equal to me. I ask that he go with me and Sakura."

Ozpin looked at Naruto, before smiling. "I'll read his portfolio, if I like it, you can consider it a deal."

* * *

on top of a mountain, Salem stood with several people. Off to her side several coffins rose from the ground, she smiled as a pale white humanoid man slowly walked from the shadows. "When you said, your semblance was to resurrect the dead…I called you out on it. I'm surprised that you aren't a liar." Salem praised as she watched as four coffins rose from the ground.

"To sell me your services of an army of ancient men and women…quite a feat." Salem walked down to the coffins, "but I was not interested in the old fossils of my age, many of them strong willed enough to break free."

She chuckled as she slowly removed the lids on the coffins, one by one, before turning around. "Ah, yes, and I suppose you give them orders as well?"

"I do, so tell me, in turn will you keep your end of the deal?" The pale white humanoid as he slithered over to her.

"Oh yes, the corpse of an Uchiha pure blood." Salem waived as he looked at the rising sun. "That could be arranged, but for now. I think it's time that Akahana Uzumaki had a little family reunion."

She turned to see the blank faces of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze staring back at her. The two had dark eyes with red glowing pupils. Behind them two more coffins opened to reveal a woman with black and red hair, and an elderly man.

"What about the boy?" The pale man asked as he looked at Salem. "This Uzumaki Naruto I keep hearing about."

"My, my, you should ask her." Salem pointed towards Emerald who was standing off at a distance with a downcast look.

"Is he alive and well?" The man slithered over to her.

"yes…" She mumbled.

"Good, you do well to make sure that he doesn't stand in Lady Salem's way. You may just have your happily ever after yet…and your family." The man hissed as he slithered around the girl, almost mockingly so.

"Orochimaru." Salem said sternly. "Don't pester the girl, she is after all being very loyal to me. As long as she remembers to do exactly as I say then no harm befalls the youngest Uzumaki."

"Yes…my queen." Emerald had her head lowered as she walked away.

Salem scoffed as she looked at the four-people standing there. "Now, Orochimaru I want you to command Minato and Kushina to hunt down Akahana and her cohorts. Command Hiruzen Sarutobi to…test Naruto and if possible eliminate whoever adopted him…I want him to feel pain and suffering."

Orochimaru looked at her, "what about the silver eye bearer we killed a few years ago, the one called Summer."

"Oh, she'll do, after all Orochimaru I think it's time for a new body." Salem said as she pilled part of the skin off her face and revealed a black and red mass underneath.


	14. Chapter 14: Why?

Naruto was excited as he walked towards the airship that was to transport them and his sister to Vale. "Holy crap this is awesome!" Naruto yelled as he pumped his arms. "I did it, I did it, I did it!"

"Look at this Mebuki, both our oldest, going to Beacon. Pretty soon Hasu will be going." Kizashi bumped his elbow into his wife playfully. "If we make another you can have a kid to wade on you hand and foot."

"Dad!" Sakura chastised as she blushed, the sixteen-year-old walked by her brother. "that's not very appropriate!"

Hasu and Naruto began laughing as they looked at each other. Hasu was hoisted on Naruto's shoulders, being bounced between steps. Naruto stopped, before handing off Hasu to Mebuki and Kizashi. Sakura stood by him, and Mebuki and them looked back.

"So, Naruto you make sure that Sakura doesn't get any random guys ya hear." Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled at what Kizashi said to him. "Lee will be arriving there a couple days after you two."

"You all have a separate bedroom motel for the next three days, I thought it'd be nice for you all to get used to Vale's air. Though, Naruto, I suspect you got used it a couple weeks ago." Naruto smiled as he took Hasu off his shoulders and knelt to kiss little brother on the forehead. "You'll be okay son?"

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine. Question is though, will you be okay mom?" Naruto said as he watched Kizashi tear up slightly.

Mebuki looked at him, imagining the scrawny kid she had saved standing next to him, before smiling. "I'll be fine son, I'll be very fine knowing that you're going to achieve your dreams soon." Mebuki spoke as he took his hands and her daughters into each of her palms.

"Sakura, my baby girl. You are my first born, you are my life and love. I watched you grow up, playing with science fiction dolls. You were ten when you started training with your father, you are destined for a great future my child. You'll be the greatest Huntress this world will ever know." Mebuki hugged a crying Sakura with one arm.

Naruto quivered slightly with his lip, before looking at them. "Through my childhood, prior to my grandfather, I didn't know what family was. I spent most of my childhood working, beating myself up, busting my tail. You all…you all gave me a reason." Naruto clenched his hand. "You, dad, Hasu, Sakura…you all gave me a reason to stand up and make my dream come true. Well, guys, now that I'm finally taking flight on my own…I'm scared."

"I'm scared that I'll lose the things that made me what I am today, but I'm happy to take this step, because I know it'll only make me a better man." Naruto told Kizashi and Mebuki. "I want to be someone Hasu looks up to, I want to be someone who brings this entire thing to an end." Naruto smiled brightly, "I want to be the one that makes you proud…dad…mom. I love you."

Mebuki brought him in for a hug with her other arm, before Kizashi joined as well.

* * *

 _Kizashi stood off to the side, looking at a crying Naruto as he rolled in his sleep. The man had a frown over his face as he saw the boy call out to his grandfather in his sleep. "Honey." Mebuki called to him. "It's getting late."_

 _"_ _I'll be there in a few…he's just having a bad dream. I don't want him being alone when he wakes up." Kizashi stated as he light brushed his hand against Naruto's brow. "He's sick, depressed, tired…I think a little human-to-Faunus contact can help him."_

 _"_ _You're a kind-hearted man…Sakura!" Mebuki called and watched as her daughter walked out of her room with pink rabbit pajamas. "Come here."_

 _"_ _What'd I do this time?" Sakura mumbled and came to see Naruto crying. "Is he okay?"_

 _"_ _Honestly dear, he's sad, but here is what I want us to do. Grab yourself a comfortable pillow and come back in here." Mebuki ordered her daughter, "we'll be spending the night just in case he wakes up. No reason for him to feel alone right now."_

 _Sakura nodded, before running to her room. Mebuki walked into the room, kneeling by Kizashi. "Is he going to be okay?"_

 _"_ _Of course, he is going to be okay, kids' got a strong head…and a good heart." Mebuki told her husband._

* * *

Mebuki watched as Naruto and Sakura began walking towards the airship. She clutched her heart, before looking as Naruto and Sakura disappeared into the crowd of people. She sniveled a little bit, before crying with a smile on her face.

"Shh…" Kizashi spoke and kissed his wife. "They'll be okay."

"I hope so…hey isn't that Ruby?" Mebuki asked as she saw the little red blur pass by them. "Ruby, where are you going?"

"I'm going to Vale to get some dust crystals, I got a last-minute ticket! My dad told me about Naruto, Sakura, and Lee. I'm going to congratulate them when I'm on board." Ruby called as she ran towards the transport.

Mebuki pinched her nose, "noo…." She moaned.

"What?" Kizashi asked concerned as she looked up at him.

"Never mind Sakura, now it's Naruto we've got to worry about. I swear I'm going to pop a blood vessel if I find out she snuck on to pour her heart out." Mebuki said as she walked away with Hasu in toll.

Kizashi looked around. "Wait…what?!"

* * *

Naruto and Sakura looked out their window, before sighing as they watched their parents leave. "Well Sakura, we're on our own now…no mom and dad with us." Naruto solemnly spoke as he watched them walk away. "It feels weird…an old feeling I haven't had as a kid."

"What's that?" Sakura questioned as Naruto looked up at her with a smile.

"Loneliness…I heard Eli, the doctor at the hospital was the one to operate on my heart." Naruto said as he looked at rising sun. "Is that true?"

"Yep, he said that he missed ya, but he was going to a vacation resort in Mistral after the surgery. One of the few times he gets to visit family." Sakura pointed out as Naruto nodded with a smile on his face.

The mix haired teen slowly leaned back from the window, having rarely flown beforehand, he still wanted to get used to pressure changes and all. "Sakura, Naruto!" someone called from the airship crowd and Naruto immediately recognized the voice.

"Um, is that Ruby?" Naruto questioned as he pointed at the girl waiving both her hands and looking right at them.

Sakura narrowed her eyes before getting a better look. "Yep, that's Ruby."

"Oi!" Naruto visible retracted as Ruby suddenly appeared in front of them. "IheardaboutyouallgettingintoBeaconandIwaslike _ohmygodtheydidittheydiditandIhadtogoandmakeasupplyruntogetsomeDustforCrescentRoseand…and_. I'm talking way too fast, am I?"

"You think?!" Naruto yelled as he rubbed his ears, "oh god…my head…sensory overload."

"Anyway, Sakura, you and Naruto are going! My big sis is going soon, and I just wanted to give you all a big hug! But, I realized that I needed to head into town and get some Dust Crystals for my lovely weapon. Speaking of, Naruto how the heck did you make it, you don't have a lovely weapon." She spoke as she watches the blonde smiled as he leans back in his chair.

"Rubes, I'm my own weapon." He brushed off as he tried to act cool only to get punched in the stomach by Sakura. "Oww!"

"He named his kunai Mr. Freeze, Mr. Fire, Electrifying, and Windy." Naruto eyes bugged out of his head as he looked at Sakura.

"Aww~" Ruby cooed as she looked at Naruto's pouches. "How many you got."

"All of the kunai." Naruto answered only to get pulled on by his ear. "Ow-ow-ow-okay…twenty-six."

"See what being straightforward gets ya little brother, anyway, Ruby here." Sakura scooted over. "Take a seat by us."

Ruby smiled, and sat between Sakura and Naruto. "So, guys, why you all leaving so early?"

"Sakura was wanting to go explore Vale a bit. I was actually planning to go to the stores there to see which ones' double as a metal shops." Naruto told her as he smiled. "I've got to keep my kunai family all together now."

"Jeez tell me about it, Crescent Rose here eats through dust ammo like a pig eating grain." Ruby commented only to receive flat stares from Naruto and Sakura.

"You mean chickens, right?" Naruto asked as Ruby gave a wry laugh while rubbing the back of her head.

"H-ehehe." Ruby laughed as she looked downcast for a moment. "So, what'cha two doing later tonight. Since airships don't travel at night save for overseas travel?"

"We're checking into our hotel for the three days before Beacon start classes, they're starting a little later than normal this year." Sakura replied as she stretched out in her seat.

The craft suddenly jerked, indicating lift off, Naruto nervously gripped the chair. "Aww, what's wrong Naruto?" Ruby mockingly cooed.

"Really scared of heights, not even joking." Naruto said. "That and ghosts."

Ruby and Sakura both looked at Naruto before laughing as hard as they could.

* * *

Akahana breathed hard as she had flames dance around her, Sasuke was right by her, his eyes glowing red. "This is bad…" She murmured as she took a step back. "Really frigging bad."

"Tell me about it, I didn't think anyone could dodge Amaterasu." Sasuke grunted as he backed up as well and then growled. "Let alone counter it."

The two people they were fighting were clad in all black, leaving nothing about them open to interpretation. They all had a white mask on, with a fox drawn onto it. Akahana looked behind her, seeing a vast sea crashing against the mountains of Vacuo that managed to retreat to.

 _"_ _Kurama, where are the other tailed beasts?!"_ She called out mentally as she watched feminine figure take a step forward. _"_ _I'll settle for Shukaku!"_

 ** _"_** ** _Isobu is almost in position, I cannot believe that they've located us this fast, it's remarkable."_** Kurama praised while having a growl in his voice. **_"_** ** _They're obviously with Salem."_**

 _"_ _Yeah, no shit!"_ Akahana watched as Sasuke closed eyes, before opening them. _"_ _What is he doing?"_

"Inferno Art: Flame Control Sword!" Sasuke called as his katana got covered in black flames, before they flew off randomly when he slashed at them. "Tsk…Amaterasu!"

The black flames that were laced on the ground suddenly flowed out to each other, before Sasuke clapped his hands. "Great Sun Bomb!" the flames exploded as they formed a ball of flames, Sasuke grunting as he held the symbol he made with his hand. "This isn't good!"

"Why, don't you have them!" Akahana called out as she started to form a ball of wind in her hands.

Sasuke growled as they the figures slowly regenerated in front of the ball of fire. "Yeah…" Sasuke watched as they kept walking towards them. "But, whatever these things are…they aren't human."

"Grimm?" Akahana had to ask.

"No, I feel a very disturbing aura within them, it's almost binding them together instead of being a part of them." Sasuke looked at Akahana. "How long until those friends of yours get here?"

 ** _"_** ** _Now!"_** Akahana grabbed Sasuke at Kurama command before using her free hand to throw the ball of wind at the fire and leapt off the cliff with him in tow.

As they fell from the cliff the sound of a large bang, followed by a purplish black fireball that grew over the side of the cliff signaled her techniques success. Yelping in pain as she hit a tree branch, she nearly lost her grip on Sasuke, only for the young man to grab ahold of her as well.

"Susanoo!" Sasuke called out as they became covered in a purple skeleton.

The skeleton absorbed blow after blow they would've took as they hit the mountainside. Sasuke quickly formed a skeleton hand from the skeletal body he grew around them and pushed themselves away from the cliff.

When Akahana regained her focus, she moved in front of Sasuke, and roared as she clapped her hands. "Manifest!" she yelled.

Kurama appeared around them, the skeletal form Sasuke had put around started stretch around the around the large fifty-foot fox. "Akahana don't be an idiot, you need to conserve aura!"

"It's not mine I'm using, Kurama, Bijuu Dama!" Akahana ordered as the fox chuckled around them before forming a large sphere in front of its mouth.

Only to Akahana's shock that a similar sphere formed from on the people on the cliff, her eyes widened as well as the nine tails' as the similar sphere smashed into his own. Causing it to distort, and thinking quickly Akahana reabsorbed Kurama. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't know what to do, but he growled as he pumped more of his aura into Susanoo. Manifesting a shield that had a swirl mark in the middle of it. The skeletal body now had a cloak over it, before he put the shield in front of them. "Hang on!"

The Bijuu Dama Kurama had been creating distorted one last time before blowing up completely. Sasuke held onto Akahana as they watch the Susanoo he created start to crack around the force of the explosion.

Seeing this, Akahana threw herself in front of Sasuke, before the explosion broke through. She yelled out as the force slammed primarily into her, and sent her sprawling into the sea.

Sasuke saw a giant turtle rise up, before seeing a giant beetle of equal fly up and engage the two beings. "Do you have her!" He called down as he fell.

 **"** **Yes!"** The turtle roared out, before diving just as Sasuke landed.

The young man glared on the top of the cliff, before collapsing to one knee. "That was too close…too many men, just what the hell was that?!" Sasuke yelled as he looked at Akahana, noticing her still form. "Akahana?"

He dashed over to her, before placing his hand on her neck, and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a heartbeat. He looked on as the giant beetle came flying overhead, before diving into the waters. Slowly, Sasuke nodded, licking his lips, he scoffed at the fact that his entire team he brought with him had been slaughtered by a combination of a coordinated Grimm attack and those two people him and Akahana had been fighting.

Traveling a month together, they've faced Grimm, but that was entirely different.

* * *

The airship Naruto and co. was riding on landed onto an airfield. Ruby and Sakura walked of the ship laughing with each other as Naruto slowly dragged himself out, before leaning over the rails and upchucking. "I hate flying…I really hate flying." He groaned as he upchucked once more.

"Eww, c'mon Naruto, put a sock in it!" Ruby called out while Sakura felt a little queasy from just looking at her brother puking.

The trio all regrouped while Naruto stumbled while walking a little bit. "Oh, thank you whoever is out there…I really appreciate having vertigo!" Naruto called out as he was held up by Sakura and Ruby.

"Jeez, how did he get in early Sakura?" Ruby inquired as she looked at Naruto's ears drooping.

Sakura stopped for a second, before looking around, she took a sigh. "I don't know Ruby."

"What's wrong, that was weird." Ruby said as she looked around as well.

"Something's not right, I feel like we're being watched is all." Sakura told Ruby as she helped drag Naruto. "It's me paranoid, I've always felt this way in the cities."

"If it helps they've got cameras everywhere." Ruby pointed out as they walked. "Hey guys, do you mind if I crash with you tonight? I'm supposed to catch the earliest flight out of Vale tomorrow."

"Not at all, I'll take the couch." Naruto mumbled as he waived his hand dismissively.

On a ship, just outside of Vale's waters, a man screamed and begged for his life before a resounding sound of metal piercing flesh was heard. The slowly walk of a being could be heard through the bowls of the ship, the jingle of armor as well.

A man with a hunch slowly shoveled through the halls of the ship, he was dressed in all black, wearing a mask that had a monkey drawn on it. Slowly, but surely, he made his way into the boiler room. The man simply threw a bag of red dust crystals into the boiler before it exploded.

Taking him, and the ship with it.

A few Bulwarks passed over head, before flashing red and blue lights. They turned on their spotlights on, finding nothing, but they never noticed that just under the surface of the water a few bloodlike pieces of a substance began to form together. Forming the head of the man, before the reds of his eyes glowed.

The Bulwarks then flew off to report what they had seen, but that's when the man's nearly reformed body emerged on a piece of debris. He saw the lights of Vale on the horizon, several Nevermore flocked around the ship, landing by him.

As the face of the being formed, it bared resemblance to Hiruzen as he reached out with his fully formed arm and petted the nevermore nearest to him. "The Queen demands that we find and test." He spoke in a soft voice his red eyes looking at Vale. "She gave us instructions to seek out Uzumaki Naruto…and so we shall seek him. Provide the needed distraction tonight."

He got up on top of the Nevermore nearest to him, before lightly tapping it on its head before flying off.

Naruto, Sakura, and Ruby walked into the hotel. Slowly Naruto walked over to the couch, before plopping down on it. He turned over to face the ceiling, remember what Sakura told them about being watched, though she later reprimanded it as paranoia.

The mixed hair teen slowly raised up, allowing them both to sit down, and turn on the news. He couldn't help but shake the feeling as well that they were in danger. He just couldn't explain it, but when he blocked everything around him.

All the talking Sakura and Ruby were doing.  
The noise of the news reporting an exploding ship.  
The sound of the air-conditioning.

He felt it more, he felt this dark aura near them, it was almost pitch black by its color.

Slowly, he got up, before walking towards the door. His eyes closed, before he opened them to having red irises. He couldn't explain why he was on such a high alert himself, but once he opened the door and saw nothing the red faded from his eyes.

"Naruto! Hello, Remnant to Naruto!" Ruby yelled as she and Sakura tried to get his attention.

Naruto's ears picked up, before he noticed that the black aura had quickly faded away. "Y-yeah, what's up?"

"You okay, you're acting like you heard something, Naruto?" Sakura asked, she had a look of concern ridden all over her face.

Naruto shook his head once, before taking a deep breath. "I'm fine, I just, I don't know…felt something."

"Felt? As in _felt_ in your chest, or felt as in sensed?" Sakura inquired as she walked over to him.

"I don't know, it's weird…hey Ruby what time were you going to Dust Till Dawn?" Naruto asked as he walked back over to the couch. "I got to head there anyway myself."

"Oh, I was getting ready to go." Ruby said as she got up. "Why, you got all day tomorrow…and the next day…and the next day." She rambled a little before slightly blushing.

"I…just wanna go now, and get shopping over with for the next three days. Sakura, you want to go?" Naruto turned around and failed to notice Ruby's crestfallen face when he asked Sakura.

"Oh, um, nah. I'm just getting relaxed, I think I'll go take a shower and head to bed." She spoke as she walked towards her bag and got a few clothing items out.

* * *

Naruto and Ruby went walking down the road, the dup of mix haired teens each walked close to each other. Naruto then noticed someone familiar running towards them. "Oh, hey Iko, what'da doing on this side of town?" Naruto asked the younger fox Faunus.

"Oh, I'm searching for Jessie is all, he's supposed to meet me in the plaza. There's a small festival going on ya know." Iko said as he looked towards Ruby and smiled deviously. "Hey, that your girlfriend?"

"Eh?!" Naruto and Ruby both yelled out. "No/nope!"

"Oh well, anyway, Jessie's got a little girlfriend. Her names Amber, she's a pretty lady." Iko said as he rubbed the back of his head, before noticing something on the rooftops above Naruto. "Hey isn't that a Hunter?"

Naruto and Ruby looked behind them to see a figure cloaked in black, wearing a mask. The lighter mix haired closed his eyes, before feeling of the aura. It was the same aura he felt outside of the hotel room, he clenched his hands. "Hey, Iko, go on buddy and find Jessie."

Iko looked bummed out, before noticing Naruto and Ruby look at him. "Okay, fine, sheesh…a guy can take a hint. Smoochy smooch!"

"Oi, that's not wha-ah forget it." Naruto started to yell, before sighing. "Well Rubes, c'mon, we better get going.

"Sure…um…" She had a blush tinging on her cheeks. "Do you know that guy?"

"Uh, Iko, he's a kid I met when I left the hospital. He's aiming to be a Hunter, just like I am." Naruto proudly smiled as he walked with Ruby. "Hopefully one day I can stop all of this, and he won't need to get hurt."

"Can I ask you a question, even if it's a bit personal?" Ruby inquired as he rubbed her hands under her red cloak.

"You just asked one." Naruto said as a joke while chuckling all the while.

"Naruto, being serious." Ruby growled before calming down, Naruto gave her a look that indicated for to continue. "Why do you want to protect everyone…I mean, you say that you want to protect everyone, and everything. Is it out of love, or is it duty?"

"Both." Naruto answered, "and a will that makes not want to see people suffer."

Naruto looked up at the sky. "I was once a slave Ruby, forced to work in mines for a cruel man. If I wasn't working in the mines, I waded on him…his people hand and foot. The White Fang at the time was peaceful, they led an operation to release me from imprisonment. There was a time believe it or not, I hated humanity."

Ruby looked at him stunned as they stopped walking. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah, there was a point in time I hated humanity. I hated how they treated everything with reckless care, reckless emotional attachment. I was cold to the world…and the world was cold to me. I was seven years old when I was finally freed from the source of that ill will." Naruto lowered his shirt on his left shoulder to reveal his tattoo. "I don't really talk about it, but you already knew I was a slave. I am a what I am in base from this tattoo, Faunus-Male-Naruto-Uzumaki-October-Tenth. For a long time that's all I knew I was, ever since I was three…just a Faunus slave."

Naruto then took a deep breath. "When I first met my grandfather, I hated him. I hated him because he showed me the great side of humanity. The kindness…the compassion, the care." Naruto smiled as he looked at Ruby. "The love of a family."

"So, you slowly grew into it." Ruby asked as they started to walk back.

Naruto chuckled as he looked at her. "Yeah, I learned how to love a family. I learned true loss, I learned how to stand back up, and I learned that there are others out there."

"I was never alone…" Naruto said lowly as they neared the store. "I relate to you…in a way Ruby."

She looked at him, "how's that?"

"You, your father, and your sister lost someone so close and dear to you. I could never imagine losing another of my loved ones, but I know as long as I'm standing here you got a friend…a brother in me." Naruto said as he opened the door for her. "So, Ruby, to answer your question."

"I protect those that I cherish most, and those that I cannot stand to see hurt."


	15. Chapter 15: Old faces getting decked

Naruto and Ruby walked into the shop named _Dust Till Dawn_ , Naruto eyed all the dust the store had, before giving an impressed nod. "Holy crap, they've got everything." He muttered aloud which Ruby caught, before turning towards him.

"Not just dust, they sell magazines and subscriptions to weapon parts and DIY projects. That's how made my beautiful Crescent Rose, it was a combination of seven different projects." Rube said as she pointed out the magazines. "I was at first going to make it a machinegun, but meh, that's lame."

"So you made it a literal antitank rifle?" Ruby nodded excited at Naruto's question.

"Yep, more bang for the buck!" She stated happily. "Cost effective, deadly, and stylish…my baby." She said holding the rather small staff part of it to show Naruto.

"You know, I still can't get over the fact that you were able to compact such a large weapon down to your body size." Naruto praised as he looked at the staff with the folded blade on top. "It's still beautiful for a weapon."

"So why won't you let me make you a scythe, c'mon Naruto, you can reap the fields of Grimm. It'd actually fit you, considering, well you know…fox Faunus…fields. Eh, eh?!" Naruto chuckled a little bit as he rubbed the back of his head.

"But, who'd keep Mr. Freeze warm at night, he needs a Grimm occasionally." Naruto shot back as he walked with her to magazines. "Ooooh, that got Mistralian weapons here…neat."

Naruto picked up a Mistralian Weapons Magazine, it featured a redhead teen about his age on it. "Pyrah edition?" Naruto opened the book and his eyes immediately lit up with fire as he saw the weapons being plain but exquisite. "Holy crap, nine thousand Lien for an electric daikatana kit, do it yourself, and what it's required…oh no, nope way out of my price range." Naruto mumbled.

"Yeah…that's what I hate about Mistralian weapons, they're more or less for show. It comes being mostly artisans that make them, but that doesn't mean they aren't deadly. My uncle Qrow's sword was made in Mistral and you see how that does Grimm. Wham!" Ruby shouted as she made her arm like a sword. "Like a hot knife through butter."

"So, shouldn't the sound effect be sching instead, you know sching!" Naruto moved his arm in the similar motion.

"H-hey!" Naruto heard the store owner call.

"What was that?" Ruby asked as she looked at her magazine.

"Dunno, I'll check it out, why don't you listen to some music?" Naruto suggested as he put his hands in his pockets before walking to the front of the store.

Naruto bumped into a black suited man with red tinted sunglasses. "Hold it brat." Naruto turned to face him, before seeing one more of his goons go to the back towards Ruby. "You know there aren't any Faunus allowed in this establishment, care to pay a fee?"

"Ha-haha." Naruto chuckled as he looked over the store counter and saw a man pointing a sword at the store owner. "That's rich."

"Oi, we saw you walking in with the cute young girl over there, if you want something to hur-ahh!" Naruto grabbed the man by his throat, lowering him down to his gaze. "Gaccjaja!"

The man's eyes widened as he then slung across the store and sent into a window, the resounding sound of two glass panes breaking both alerted everyone outside and Naruto inside. The mix haired teen turned around to see Ruby coming his aisle.

"So, we got robbed, that's a thing." She said as before noticing Naruto's red eyes. "What?"

"Nothing, I think I know who's robbing the store." Naruto slowly put his hands in his pouch before walking with Ruby to the front of the store.

The man holding the store owner up was looking at them as they passed by, and charged. Ruby jumped up, landing a perfect side kick that sent him flying out of the window. "Good kick." Naruto spoke when he then whistled. "That's going to leave a mark."

"You with them?!" The old man called out.

"Nope." Naruto popped the P in the word as he looked outside the window. "But, I think you need to call LEO here…as in now."

The store owner nodded, retreating to his backroom. Naruto looked at Ruby, before she started sighing. "What's wrong?"

"This has been a very long time coming, I can't tell if I'm scared or if I'm happy." Naruto said shaking as his eyes flared with rage.

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked as she walked outside the store door with Naruto.

A man in a nice clean white suit turned around, his orange hair waived in the small wind. To his right there was about six men, and to his left was five. Each armed with assortment of blunt and sharp weapons. By his side was a man dressed in all black with a monkey mask.

He had an excited look on his face, before looking on as a familiar face exited the store. "Sunny!" he yelled in excitement. "How'ya been?"

"Been great, you know going to store, but how ya been asshole!" Naruto yelled with a cold look on his face.

"Language!" Ruby scolded as she crossed her arms. "Friend?"

"Nah, a dead man." Naruto spoke as he reached into his pouch and grabbed two sets of flame kunai.

"Oh, Sunny, it's been so long. Tell me something, who's the girlfriend? Red? Can I call you that?" Roman politely asked as he looked at her. "I mean don't mind Sunny by you, he's always been a moody child."

"Yeah, killing someone's loved one does that to you Roman…you should try it sometime." Naruto growled as he gripped the kunai harder. "Why are you back in Vale?"

"Business kid, nothing but business with your grandfather. However, I got an offer for you. You see all that dust in that store is worth quite a small fortune, help me take it…and I'll let your girlfriend go." Roman offered as he walked about. "How's that sound?"

Naruto twitched, before looking at Ruby who seemed a little scared now. "He's bluffing Rubes; besides I owe him an ass kicking and a half."

"Mind if I help?" Ruby inquired as she got her scythe out, slamming the blade behind her. "I can help Naruto, there's way too many to take on."

"Yeah, I think so, how about a flaming hot combo?" Naruto smashed his fist into an open palm.

"You've gotten brave kiddo, tell me, was it because of that bitch that took you in? My God, how soft and stupid you've grown." Roman sighed before looking at his man. "Get'em."

The men roared out as they charged, before Ruby and Naruto dashed as well. Jumping into the air, they both delivered a perfect side kick into the first guy, knocking him a few feet back. Naruto twisted midair, and kicked away stab meant to go for Ruby.

He brought his knuckle down on the assailant's neck, knocking him out cold. Ruby meanwhile dashed away using her semblance, and reappeared outside of the crowd gathering around Naruto before loading her rifle.

"Blunt rounds!" Naruto called out as he began dodging and countering several of the men.

Naruto dodged the first guys' sword swing by leaning backwards before flipping backwards onto his hands and twisting his body to where he kicked the man in the head. It the man onto the pavement, before he used his forelegs and boosted by aura to block two baseball bats aimed him. Twisting around on his hands, he tucked his body in before sweeping kicking two more people onto the ground.

As he spun one hand he used his free hand to strike them in the head, knocking them out cold.

Seeing a guy coming for him, he propelled himself from the ground with his right hand before landing on the guy he kicked earlier, knocking him out. Using his kunai, he clashed against the man's sword, before angling him to where he could drape his leg over the man's forearm and launch a kick into his face.

The man was out cold as he fell back, and Naruto turned to see four more guys coming from alley.

Ruby loaded several rounds into her rifle-scythe, and fired. Hitting a few people in the head with massive rubber bullets she would use in spars. They not having aura were easily knocked out by the rounds, Roman watched as he whistled.

Naruto grabbed one more guy before tossing him his shoulder and at Roman and the masked man before each sidestepped.

"You lot were truly worth the money, yes you were." Roman mocked his men, before watching Ruby land next to Naruto.

There was one guy, his last remaining henchman, backing up towards him. The guy in the mask simply stood behind him.

 _"She isn't half bad."_ He then looked at Naruto with a smirk. _"I think Sunny is about on the same level as that Mebuki bitch…hmm, it'd be interesting."_

Roman gained a maniacal smile on his face as he pushed one of his man forward, onto Naruto, who easily threw the guy off. However, Naruto stopped, seeing that Roman had started aiming for Ruby with his cane plopped open. The girl jumped away, only to get traced by Roman who fired a few shots.

Laughing, Roman was sure he was going to hit her, before a screech in the air filled his ears. He looked on as an orange flash intercepted his energy blasts. He was stunned to say the least, but watched as Naruto knocked two away with his hands cloaked in the orange aura, before roundhousing the last one away and back at Roman.

"What the!" Roman called out before sidestepped the blast and allowing it to hit the masked man behind him. He whistled as he looked at Naruto's aura cloaked form, with Ruby standing behind him. "Got to say kid, not bad, you and Red there fight well together."

"Shove it Roman…the only thing I'm going to be good at tonight is ripping your head off!" Naruto yelled as he charged blindly at Roman.

The man raised his cane up, firing a couple of shots at Naruto as he jumped backwards. The sound of screeching filled his ears as the mix haired teen deflected his shots. Naruto appeared in front of Roman, before watching the man reach up with his cane, the blonde mix turned his body and round housed the cane and dust gun away.

Naruto and Roman engaged in a flurry of strikes against each other. Naruto blocking Roman with his forearms when he tried to use the cane. "I'm going to beat like I did when you were a brat!"

"I like to see you try!" Naruto roared as he spun around and elbowed Roman in the gut, before upper cutting him into the air.

Roman angled himself and fired several dust rounds at Naruto who simply deflected them with his aura. Naruto watched as Roman landed before charging at him, that's when the man in the mask stepped in. the blonde mix hissed as he saw a red blur pass by him.

Ruby went for Roman while Naruto engaged the masked man. Quickly, Naruto was shown that this man was no joke as when he engaged the man he had to use all of his body in contorts to block and counter. Naruto finally found an opening and spun around to kick the man in the chest. The kick packed a punch as Naruto watch the man fly backwards.

 _"I could've sworn I deflected Roman's blast into him…"_ Naruto questioned as he saw the man lay there before healing a yell of pain.

Naruto turned to see Roman striking Ruby across the face with his cane before producing a dagger in his left hand. He immidatley dashed forward as Roman angled the dagger in a reverse grip to stab Ruby in the temple.

"Romaaaaahh!" Naruto yelled as he cocked his fist back before smashing it into the man's face. The blonde roared in rage as he saw an aura form over Roman before breaking apart slightly as he sent the man sprawling back.

The man managed to land on his feet, but he felt something run down his face. Looking down at his hand, he looked at Naruto. there was blood pouring from his nose from where the blonde punched him. "Yo-you…managed to hit me?"

"Yeah, and it felt damn good." Naruto commented as he clenched his fists as he kicked the dagger into a sewer drain. "Sorry if I ain't letting you hurt one of my friends but this ends now!"

Naruto ran full on to Roman who smirked as he reached into his pocket. Pulling out a couple of red dust crystals. Naruto saw this but pushed forward as the cloak's tail bubbled behind him. The blonde mix was closing on Roman fast, his aim was take Roman head off with his kunai!

He didn't notice the two dust crystals that were thrown besides him.

"Naruto wait!" Ruby yelled as she grabbed him, just in time as she dashed back when a red dust crystal landed neared them before exploding.

The explosion knocked Naruto away from Ruby, Ruby slamming into a light post, thankfully her strong aura kept her protected. Naruto watched as Roman headed for a fire escape.

Ruby came charging behind Naruto before using her semblance to dash to his side. "C'mon Naruto!"

Naruto nodded and ran with her towards the fire escape, where he stopped ahead first. "Boost!" Naruto yelled as he cupped his hands and crouched down.

The scythe wielder nodded, and ran full speed towards Naruto and jumped into his open palms before propelled upwards. "Woohoo!" She yelled as she flew into the air.

Naruto started to make his way up the ladder, only to see something move in the corner of his eye, and dash up the building. Naruto wasting no time quickly ascended the ladder, and jumped to land next to Ruby.

There Roman stood, before he looked behind him to notice a Bulwark heading for them. "Well Sunny, Red, it's been quite the little battle. I'll just be putting my broken nose on your tab, no big deal. Ms. Red will probably pay that debt for you or whoever has you now!"

"You go anywhere near my friends…anywhere near my family!" Naruto roared as he threw the kunai at Roman.

The man's eyes widened in fear as the kunai ignited, before watching the masked man land in front of him. Knocking the kunai out of the air with a giant bo staff. Naruto and Ruby's eye widened, as they saw the figure stand up tall.

"Isn't that…" Ruby pointed at the man, remembering him from the rooftops just about fifteen minutes ago.

"Yeah, that's the guy I felt following us." Naruto mumbled before glaring at him. "Oi, you got a problem?"

"No, but I believe Master Roman is to leave." The masked man spoke with a familiar voice. "I recommend preparing yourself."

Naruto growled as got down into a fighting stance, he looked at Ruby as he sensed the man's aura in front of him. It was small, but it was thick and strong. "Ruby, this guy is mine, can you keep an eye on Roman?"

She nodded and pointed her gun right at the man. "I just got done loading it live ammo too jerk, don't even think about it!"

Roman chuckled, putting his hands up. "Oh Monkey, be so kind." Roman started before gaining a maniacal look on his face. "And break her nose!"

Naruto intercepted Monkey when he seemingly moved fast enough to make Ruby startled, however a well-placed kick from Naruto forced him away. Naruto bobbed and weaved through a series of bo staff strikes before finding his chance and delivered a three-punch combo into the man's sternum, face, and abdomen.

The man backed up, but just brushed Naruto's attack off before being stunned when the teen launched himself into him. "Dynamic Entry!" Naruto yelled as he sent the man sprawling back.

Ruby intercepted him this time, beginning to use her scythe as defense as Naruto flipped over her and kicked the man into a slash by her scythe. Monkey grunted, looking down to see his missing right arm, before smirking under his mask as it began to regrow.

Roman stood off to the side, aiming his cane with a smile on his face. Ruby saw this, and dashed in front of the battle to deflect a blast with scythe. "No you don't!" She yelled as she aimed her rifle at him. "Don't you dare move!"

"Oh, I wouldn't think of it Red…but you should." Roman pointed and watched as Ruby sidestepped just in time to avoid Naruto being thrown onto the ground near her.

She turned around, before noticing the man's arm was now back. "Huh?" She was so stunned that she was barely to block a jab from the staff with her scythe.

"Get off her!" Naruto shouted as he got up just in time to block a shot from Roman at Ruby, but what was stunning was the level of control he showed when he entrapped the blast in his aura before twisting around.

Monkey had no time to react as Naruto sent the captured blast into his face, blowing it apart. Naruto grabbed Ruby and gave some of his aura to her. Letting out a deep breath, Naruto noticed the Bulwark getting closer.

But, when he felt something, pushed Ruby back when Monkey stood back up. "What the hell?!" Naruto screamed before seeing the man's head reform, but noted the pool of aura in the man being diminished as he did so.

Naruto decided to go on the offensive, before holding his hand back. "I've been doing something lately, practicing a technique I saw in a dream. Get ready you freak!" Naruto yelled as a screeched filled the air.

Slowly an orange ball gathered in Naruto's hands before it became more solid and rounded. It screeched and leaked aura in the form of tails that were no different from a comet. Naruto dashed forward, and slammed the ball into Monkey.

"Rasangan!" Naruto yelled as he blasted the man in into a spinning mess.

Naruto heard a beeping noise from his scroll, noticing he was in the red. Cursing lightly, he watched as the ball disappeared, before the man's head reformed. What scared him the most, the man just stopped moving.

Midair.

The duo of heroes watched as the man corrected himself midair, before Naruto's cloak retreated to its normal form. "Okay!" Ruby called as she pointed out. "Since when did you have a semblance!"

"I don't, I'm just really good at manipulating my aura. Besides, I'm good to go still!" Naruto popped his knuckles. "Unfortunately for Roman and them I'm going to be kicking it for a while!"

"Extend!" Naruto's eyes widened at the call, before feeling the end of the staff the man was wielding smash into his gut.

Coughing up, he skidded towards the edge of the building, before stopping and grabbing ahold of the staff. He roared out as he pushed against the extended staff, before watching Ruby run across it. She spun her scythe around once before spinning on her heel and slicing the man in half.

The only thing though, there was no blood, and he didn't let up on Naruto even with one hand now gripping the staff. Naruto knocked it away in time as Roman aimed for Ruby before throwing a kunai straight at Roman.

The kunai forced Roman to block with his cane, before growling as Ruby dashed back towards Naruto. the boy's aura slightly flickered, before he smirked. "You know, that guy you got is tough. How much did he cost Roman?" Naruto got out a second kunai before throwing it at Roman. "A bang or a boom!"

The explosion of the kunai was up in the air instead of on the building, Naruto and Ruby's mouth hanged open as Monkey grabbed the kunai and jumped into the air with them. The roar of a Bulwark filled the air as Roman jumped backwards and into it.

"Well Red, Sunny, I hate to end things on a good note but bon voyage!" Roman called as he grabbed a few red dust crystals and threw them at Naruto and Ruby.

Quickly thinking on his feet, Naruto dashed in front of Ruby, before spreading his aura around her. Her eyes widened as they burned, unknown to Naruto, her eyes had turned almost a rose like red from the energy.

Roman smiled widely as he fired a shot at the crystals, where they ignited, before blowing up. He expected Naruto and Ruby to be vaporized by the blast. Only to see a barrier of sorts of where the explosion was supposed to impact.

"I believe that's quite enough!" Roman heard, seeing a woman with blonde hair walk on the roof and wielding a riding crop.

Roman retreated, passing by a set of yellow and slowly forming red eyes. "We've got an actual Huntress!" he called out as he went to the Bulwark controls.

Naruto's rage boiled over as he ran in front of the open doors and grabbed several kunai with wind and fire crystals. "Eat this bastard!" He yelled as he threw six kunai at once.

They whizzed in the air, sharp and fast sounds tore through the sky. Only to get met by red arrows, which made them blow up. Ruby yelled out as Naruto activated his cloak and blocked the explosions' shockwave.

The Bulwark rocked side-to-side from the explosion, before correcting itself. "Ice Storm!" The blonde woman called out as a storm of ice fell around the Bulwark. Ruby took aim for the inside of the Bulwark, firing several rounds of ammo that were blocked by a pale red shield of some sort.

Several sigils appeared around Naruto who dashed back, before watching the woman dash in front of them and formed a barrier. The explosions were easily blocked as the roof of the building shook, luckily, she provided a barrier for the rooftop as well.

Naruto dug into his pockets, grabbing several more kunai. This time grabbing two flame, two ice, and one wind, and one Electric. "Maelstrom Blossom!" Naruto called out as he threw the kunai.

The yellow eyes narrowed as the owners fired three more arrows. "Can you get this thing moving!" the owner yelled in a feminine voice.

"I'm sorry, trying to clear ice out of the gears with heat from the engines!" Roman yelled back at her, before watching her growl.

The kunai all converged near the top of the craft before a red shield appeared around it.

The two flame and ice kunai exploded together forming a mist before the lightning and wind kunai exploded. The result was swirling wind of electricity that cracked the red shield, but didn't break it. The craft began to fly away, only for Naruto give chase to it to the ledge of building.

Grabbing two more kunai, a fire and wind kunai, he aimed carefully. Only to roar out in frustration as he figured the craft was too far to reach. "Damn it!"

"Language." Ruby spoke nervously and watched Naruto pocket the kunai. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just really-really mad!" He yelled as he crossed his arms before clenching his fists. "So close…darn it!"

"Ahem." They both turned to see the woman standing on the roof. "If you both are done, I believe I have questions for you both."

"Oh…my God…Naruto it's an actual Huntress in action. Look!" Ruby yelled in excitement as she ran over to the woman. "Didn't we do awesome?"

Naruto rolled his eyes before hearing the clicking of handcuffs. "B-b-b-but?!" Ruby stood there astonished as several LEO officers came onto the roofs and held guns at Naruto.

"On the ground ya filthy animal!" One called out as he pointed his gun right at Naruto.

The blonde mix just rolled his eyes before lying flat on the ground, hands behind his head.

Quickly several officers began to swarm him, only for the blonde to step towards them. "Be gentle like you were with the girl please, no reason to treat a hero being brought in for questioning roughly."

* * *

Naruto and Ruby both sat in a room, before looking at each other. "So…this suck." Naruto told her as he looked around.

"Tell me about it, they at least took the cuffs off me." Ruby said as she looked at Naruto before he chuckled and waved her off.

He is laughing as he told her "It doesn't really matter, we didn't do anything wrong." Before laying back into his seat.

Ruby took notice of this, before looking behind Naruto to see him manipulating his aura, before hearing a resounding click. "Ahh." He moaned as the cuffs fell from his hands as he showed the window nearest to them his hands.

"Naruto you're going to get in trouble." Naruto looked at her before blowing raspberries and propped his feet on the table. "Naruto…." She growled only to hear a knock.

"You may enter my fortress of solitude!" Naruto yelled as he watches the door open only to sit right when the blonde walked in.

Ruby almost had a heart attack, before recognizing the man, before burying her face in her arms. "Oh…can this get any worse?"

"It can." She spoke as she heard Ruby, but she then smiled. "For the record, what you both did deserves commendation." She then turned around and slapped her riding crop onto the table making Ruby sit up with a yelp. "But also deserves warrant of caution in the future. You both could've been killed!"

"Well, thanks miss…um." Naruto pointed at her, swearing he knew her name, but she he lost it on his tongue. "Lynda?"

"Really, is that what you heard in the ride here?" Naruto nodded and pointed at his fox ears with his thumb.

She pursed her lips. "Color me impressed, usually the backs of LEO vehicles are sound proof. But, for the record I am Glynda Goodwitch, head instructor of Beacon."

Ruby shot up before groaning, "oh no! This must look horrible!" She cried as Naruto looked freaked out for a moment.

"Um Ruby, I think she's just checking on us." Naruto looked at her and she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at them. "Nope, she's here to scold us."

"You're both wrong and correct, Mr. Uzumaki, I believe you've met my boss Ozpin." Naruto nodded before looking as the door open. "He's here to make sure a future student is cleared to go."

"Oh cool, hey Mr. Ozpin!" Naruto waved and received a wave in kind. "So, what's up?"

"Well you've got quite the handle of your aura Naruto. Manipulation of your caliber is almost unheard of for someone your age. I have security footage of you fighting, I'm colored impress, apparently despite your losing record to Ms. Xiao-Long, you've made quite the jump from acceptable to exceptional." Ozpin praised as he looked over Naruto's file. "Now as for miss Rose here…"

Ozpin watched as she raised her head for her eyes to meet his. "She has silver eyes…" He mumbled and by the look of Glynda's face she caught what he meant. "Ahem, anyway. It's come to light that you fought alongside Mr. Uzumaki here. Your coordination seemed rather sloppy, but I think for the first time fighting together you both did excellent. Especially you Miss Rose. You saved Naruto here twice, albeit, one time was a tactical move."

"I was just scared he'd fall and get hurt." Ruby said as she looked at the footage playing on his data pad.

"Yet you didn't hesitate to take the needed action, now as for whatever semblance this man was using, it was obviously mastered enough to where your attack didn't really matter. However, it was the opening Naruto here needed to break out of his deadlock. What year are you in?" Ozpin inquired as she put his hands on his chin.

"I'm a second-year Signal Student." Ruby answered as she nervously rubbed the back of her before she smelled something.

The door opened, an officer brought in a plate full of cookies and milk. Ruby's mouth watered as she noticed they were chocolate chip. "Can I…" Ozpin looked at her with a smile.

"Eat till your hearts content." He told her only to watch her start wolfing down the cookies with a mighty vigor. Slightly twitching with his right eye, he looked at Naruto. "Aren't you hungry Mr. Uzumaki?"

"Nah, just wondering how come the LEOs here kept me chained up." Glynda looked surprised at the information.

"Did they now…I could've sworn I told them to unleash you from the chains." Glynda told him while he shrugged and showed her his hands.

He chuckled a little bit. "I'm quite crafty when it comes to things, now quick question, on a scale of one to ten how free are we?"

"Eleven." Ozpin answered with a small chuckle of his own. "You certainly have quite a mirth about you. Mind I ask why?"

"Not every day you get the deck the man that killed your grandfather in the face." Naruto commented while clenching his fists. "So please tell, did they crash?"

"Unfortunately, we're not so lucky, they managed to get away." Naruto face fell at this before he nodded at the information Glynda provided him. "Be it as it may however, we've actual come to proclaim your innocents and offer something to Ms. Rose over there."

"Hmm?" Ruby hummed with her mouth full.

"Would you like to join my academy?" Ozpin asked her.

Naruto covered his ears once he saw the stars form in her eyes, he only wished he could cover his human ears as well.


	16. Chapter 16: Yang's Dojo

_The cry of a baby sounded throughout a small house as a redheaded Faunus took shallow fast breaths. By her, a midwife held a baby wrapped up in a blue blanket. The baby was wailing as his Faunus ears picked up sound around him. By them was the father who kissed his wife's hand before looking at her. "You did it Kushina, there's Naruto."_

 _Behind him a small redheaded girl slowly walked forward. "Daddy, is that brotha?" she asked as she looked at the baby wailing. "Why's he crying?"_

 _"_ _He just came from eternal darkness Akahana, he's seeing the light for the first time." Her father answered as he watches Kushina feed Naruto. "You're now a proud big sister, you better be chasing the girls away from Naruto."_

 _"_ _Oh, hush Minato, he's been born, let Akahana slowly ease into the burden." Kushina chuckled weakly as she looked at her son. "Oh, look at him Minato, he's so hungry. I hope whatever girl he impresses can cook."_

 _Minato laughed as he looked at his wife. "Why, don't you want to cook for him, last time I checked you have the best cooking in Konohana."_

 _"_ _Yeah, momma's best!" Akahana cheerfully stated as she ran up to hug her mother._

 _"_ _Dang skippy I am…oh…man. Naruto really took a lot out of me, Akahana rest assured honey you were much faster." Kushina said as she looked at her husband. "How long?"_

 _"_ _Thirty-eight hours." Minato answered._

 _Kushina laughed weakly, before looking at her son. "Oh, I hope you aren't a headache buddy, because mommy loves you. Mommy loves both of you." Kushina used a free hand to draw Akahana into a weak hug._

* * *

Sasuke woke up to the sounds of sobbing, and whimpering. He looked over to see Akahana sitting on top of Isobu's head, the giant turtle having sailed North East to avoid an obvious beeline to Naruto. The seventeen-year-old sobbed as she held a tattered photo of her and family when Naruto was still a baby.

"Why couldn't we just be a normal family…oh…why?" She asked the winds as she rocked back and forth. "This stupid war…this stupid life…all of my family ripped away. What've done to show for it, I'm still weak…and because of it everyone I know is dead, mom and dad are dead…"

Sasuke didn't say anything, he just sat there, watching her.

"I wanted him to meet her at least goddamn it!" She screamed as she broke into another fit of sobbing. "Why goddamn it?! What's my purpose, what's anything anymore! I…I can't…even if I find my brother what then! What makes you think I'll protect him any better than I did mom or dad! It was my responsibility! Just leave me alone Kurama! I said leave me alone!" She slammed her head onto the shell, cutting it open slightly.

Sasuke sighed before ripping a piece of shirt off. "Akahana…" she turned to face him.

Sasuke walked over to her before placing the cloth around her head, before giving a small smile. "Don't do that again, bad enough we're being hurt by our enemy."

She looked at Sasuke, before sobbing. The raven head teen took a deep breath as he looked at the rising sun, before clutching his hands around her. "Shh…let it all out."

Akahana wailed as she buried her face into Sasuke's shoulder. He slowly rocked her back and forth before looking at the rising sun. He too couldn't help it, but slowly he shed his own tears. Some of the men killed that night were his best and many of them his friends.

They were just two teenagers, stuck fighting an age-old war, with an end nowhere in sight.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he stood up, his back cracking from the couch. "Oh man, Sakura…Sakura!" he called out as he went and got his clothes on.

Sakura came into the living room, wearing her a tank top and shorts. She scratched the back of her head, before giving a big yawn. "Oh man…last night, last night was a long night. You made mom and dad demand you back on the first night. Achievement unlocked I guess."

"Not like I had a choice…bastard threatened people." Naruto said as he pulled the covers back over him. "So I decked him in the face."

"How did it feel?" She asked as she put on a sweater she had grabbed from her bag.

"Good actually, almost like, a euphoria." Naruto spoke as he got comfortable before sighing. "So we got two days before we go to Beacon right?"

"Yep." Sakura spoke up before she finished putting on some sweatpants.

Naruto was about lay down and take another nap before his scroll went off. Naruto groaned before rolling over and picking it up. It was Yang.

"Go for the Ruto." Naruto answered as he tried to sound awake.

 _"_ _I'm in, I'm in, I'm in!"_

"Who is it?" Sakura inquired as she heard the excited voice.

"It's Yang." Naruto told her as he groaned before beginning to talk to her. "That's good Yang, but why are you waking me up so early?"

 _"_ _Because dummy I thought you wanted to spar, I'm in Vale!"_

Naruto sat up, stretching, she had said his magic words. The mix haired teen got up, walking over to his bag and pulled out a few articles of clothing he had gotten for his trip to Beacon. His Hunter's uniform was also the very thing he chose to wear.

Orange pants, sown in with the pouches he usually kept on the belt now running down his legs. Instead of six pouches there was now eight, four on each side, two to a pair. Each of them held kunai, each pair of the pouches held the specific type of kunai he had marked with red, blue, green, and finally yellow paint.

He thought about getting gravity crystals, but he decided that they would be very volatile in conjunction with the rest. Grabbing a mesh shirt that would his undershirt, he slowly grabbed along with it his orange and black jacket.

The jacket itself was thin, not really made for heavily cold days, but it was made with a strong fiver that would be able to resist being slashed open. Plus, due to the contorting sleeves, Naruto could easily hide kunai up his arm just in case things really went south.

Also, the jacket, on the left arm, had a spot her could place his scroll in as a sort of watch.

Quickly grabbing a few things, his wallet and scroll. The blonde stretched one last time, looking at Sakura. "So, what's your plans for today?"

"Oh, I'm going to go hang out with Ino, she's in Vale as well. Along with Lee, and Tenten." Sakura spoke as she got a bowl of cereal out and looked at Naruto. "You should eat, because- "

"An empty stomach is a weak body."  
"An empty stomach is a weak body."

Naruto smirked as Sakura just grunted at him and set her bowl down to huff at him with a haughty attitude. "Spoil sport."

"Daddy's girl."  
"Mix."  
"Bubble gum!"  
"Gumbo!"

Lightning shot between their eyes as they growled at each other, before Naruto chuckled as he slowly walked towards the door. "See ya sis."

"See ya." She merely waived him off as he exited the room.

* * *

Yang was standing in an arena, she, Lee, and a few other of Signal students that were going to Beacon in a couple of days had all pitched in to rent the place for the day to get some practice in. Keep their skills sharp, not rusty.

Naruto walked into the location that Yang had sent him on the scroll, where everyone looked at him. Yang whistling as she gave a sort of sultry growl, all of it a joke, but it still made him. "Welcome to the one shot of Yang's Dojo! Here you will fight, you will test each other, and you will make sweet hot flaming fists of glory!"

Everyone stared at her, save Lee who was pumped up. "Yosh, Yang is right, let us fight till our heart is content, then afterwards let us go find ourselves somewhere to fill our bellies with food and drinks!"

"Drinks!" Yang raised her fist into the air.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he walked over to the other students, before noticing someone. "Oh, great, who invited Kiba!"

"Oh, shut it fox boy!" Kiba yelled as he pointed at Naruto.

His large white dog besides him, the mix haired teen just grumbled as he sat on his knees. "So, how's this working, teams, singles?"

"Singles." Yang pointed out as she pulled out a hat from…somewhere.

"Um, Yang, where did you get the hat?" Lee inquired as he looked at her.

"Don't worry about it!" Yang stated as he slushed the hate around before smirking evilly as she stared down everyone in front of her. "Whoever gets me is the time of their life today, I'm in the mood to go all out~" She warned with a cooed.

She reached into the hat, before looking at the note with disappointment. "Naruto vs. Lee!"

Naruto smashed his fists together before getting up, walking towards the stage, and giving Lee a thumb up. Rock Lee did the same thumbs up, before both locked eyes and dropped into their stances. "She never specified if we could use semblances, techniques and the likes."

"Just don't destroy the place!" Yang yelled out as she heard Naruto.

"Fair enough!" Lee stated boldly as put one hand behind his back. "I shall engage you Naruto Uzumaki in all out combat, are you ready?"

"Yeah." Naruto said as he clenched his fists, his eyes turning red as his aura slowly leaked out to cover his body.

Everyone felt the pressure from the aura, it wasn't a bad kind of pressure where they were afraid, but they felt its presence.

Yang tapped her foot, biting her bottom lip as she observed Lee's aura slowly form around him as well. _"_ _Though I'm mad that I'm not evening the score out from last time, Lee's the perfect opponent to see where I could stand against Naruto now. Lee's fighting style is very like mine, minus my guns. However, just feeling of Naruto's aura I can already tell that something is different from the last time he fought, it feels like it's grown…like a seedling to a tree."_

Naruto took a deep breath, before waiting, and waiting. Lee did as well, before he took a step to the side, and before Naruto knew it he blurred in a sheer display of speed. The blonde mix watched as Lee came to his left, and jumped forwards, and watched him run around him.

Naruto was in a glued state, he had his eyes close, no sense of trying to track him with sight…Lee was way too fast. When Naruto's ears twitched, the blonde mix snapped his body around, blocking a punch from Lee with his forearm.

Yang, and everyone stood there, mouth agape.

Naruto wrapped his arm around Lee's before headbutting him, and kicking him away with a loud whoosh. The blonde mix just started jumping in place on one foot to the next before he too ran towards Lee, before the bowl head did the same exact thing as him.

Grunting as he now slid back with a whoosh, Naruto smirked as he looked right into Lee's eyes. "We're equal."

"Yes, it would appear without the use of technique we are equal, you can hear me good enough to counter my speed and your just fast enough to match it. Our strength is matched, but let's be honest Naruto…we're both holding back." Lee summarized before stating the reality.

Naruto and Lee smirked at each other, bringing their arms to their side, they both closed their eyes. Everyone tensed up, before both boys roared as their auras flared. Naruto's aura taking the foxlike shape it had just last night, and Lee's giving his skin a darker reddish tone.

"Behold Lotus Bloom, my semblance increases my body's defense and my speed three-fold!" Lee stated as his aura took a lighter green color as it flowed loosely around him. "I'm using it at half strength."

"This isn't a semblance to me, but this is my aura unhinged." Naruto stated as he cracked his knuckles before looking at Lee. "I got a surprise for you, so don't mind getting hurt a little."

"I have to say the same to you, are you ready?" Lee questions Naruto as he drops down into his stance.

"I should be asking you Lee," Naruto crisscrossed his arms, "are you?"

Everyone subconsciously, including Yang, scooted and stepped back away from the arena just in case.

Everything was silent, everyone waited baited breath, until Yang's phone dinged.

Naruto and Lee charged at each other no sooner than the phone dinged, slamming their forearms into each before each began to exchange a flurry of punches. Naruto and Lee both were deflecting and countering each other in near blinding speed.

"Ya-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!" Lee screamed on each punch while Naruto merely grunted as he kept blocking Lee and returning his own fists.

Lee suddenly backpaddled, making Naruto stumble when he attempted to throw a haymaker. The bowl head jumped up, spinning around before delivering a powerful airborne side kick into Naruto's face. The blonde eyes widened as he saw his aura get taken into the yellow from the power of the kick, before skidding backwards.

Barely able to keep standing, Naruto wiped his lip off, before smirking. The blonde clapped his hands together, before taking a deep breath, and positioning his hands where they were parallel to each other. Lee gathered as much of his aura he could into one fist, his right fists shining with light green energy.

However, he then heard a screech as slowly but surely a blue ball of energy began to form in Naruto's hands. The ball grew in side, until it finished around the size of a basketball, before Naruto looked at him with a confident smirk. "This is my new technique, Rasengan."

Lee smirked before charging forwards, enough power in step to crack the tiles of the stage he stepped on. "Lotus Bloom: Green Tree Destruction!"

"Waaaahhh!" Both screamed as their attacks collided.

Naruto's Rasengan grinded against Lee's aura, causing blue and green energy to flow off each other. Like that of crashing water, Naruto and Lee struggled against each other, two mountains of power trying to gain a foothold on one another.

Naruto was the first to take a step forward, pushing Lee back, before he took another step. Lee was stunned, before he jumped, canceling the deadlock. Naruto's eyes widened as he stumbled forward, slamming the Rasengan into the ground, which grinded into the stone tile before disappearing in a loud blast.

Lee landed behind Naruto, before the blonde could react, he felt Lee's foot collide into his back. "Dynamic Entry!"

Naruto yelped out as he was sent sliding across the tile, before falling off the stage entirely.

Losing the match.

Yang fist pumped, before looked at Lee gave him a thumb up. "Round one is over, winner is Rock "the hunk" Lee!"

Naruto groaned as he tried to get up by placing his hands on the stage, before stumbling backwards. The blonde watched as Kiba and his large dog came towards him while walking. "Still the loser from the academy, but that I have to say was impressive…for a faunus."

The mix haired teen just rolled his eyes before finally standing up, and stretching. "I think you're up against Yang next."

Kiba looked towards her, winking, which made Yang look at him with disgust.

* * *

Akahana woke up on the back of Isobu, she felt her stomach grumble, it has been a day since they last ate. She was sunburnt as well, which wasn't exactly adding to the " _joy"_ she felt bouncing in her heart. Sighing, she looked towards Sasuke who was still asleep,

She walked over to him, nudging him with her hand. "Sasuke…Sasuke!"

His eyes fluttered open, temporally revealing a red glow before they went back to normal. "W-what?"

"It's getting colder, shouldn't we be getting near Vale?" Sasuke looked at her before sighing, "what?"

"We're not going straight to Vale, we don't know how they're tracking us, we're going to Atlas." Sasuke spoke as he got up before being slapped hard across his face.

"You bastard, what about my brother, they could've found him by now!" Sasuke rubbed the palm mark on his face as she screamed at him.

Kurama manifested outside of her, still missing his arm, the small nine tailed fox hobbled towards Sasuke. **"** **I told him to head to Atlas, both him and Isobu as a matter of fact."**

"What?!" Akahana yelled as she crossed her arms, "but Kurama you told us to go after him!"

 **"** **The plan has changed because they do know where he is, but he's not the immediate threat…you are."** Akahana sucked her teeth before growling and throwing her hands up in the air. **"** **You should know that he's actually quite powerful…his aura is like that of his ancestor. Where everyone is a lake, his is an untapped ocean."**

"So, what now?! We just leave him be, and maybe they don't go after him?!" Akahana yells as she questions Kurama with fire in her eyes.

"No," Sasuke got up as he looked at her. "I'm going to get with my grandfather to talk about a plan of action. Kurama you said that your other half has manifested inside of Naruto…but just staying hidden?"

 **"** **Yes…it's just in case if he does get hunted rather than tested. My other half has specific orders not to fully intervene, but rather subconsciously guide Naruto into learning his familial abilities. He's already mastered the Rasengan."** Akahana took a deep breath before she held out her hand.

A loud screeching filled the air as a golden sphere formed in her hands. "I know the color is off due to me being The Summer Maiden, but how big is it?"

 **"** **Heh, hoop ball size."** Kurama says as he walked over to Akahana. **"** **Do not worry, he's actually going to Beacon. He'll be around Ozpin, the same man that taught your parents, and their former teammate."**

* * *

Ozpin was sitting at his desk, sighing, he looked at Taiyang who was sitting across from him. "When you first reported his name to me, I had my doubts, Kushina and Minato both dead is unprecedented to say the least."

"Yes, but I've seen Minato's spirit around the boy, it occasionally shows up every now and again. Though, Naruto hasn't seemed to notice much." Taiyang replied as he looked at Qrow next to him. "If I'd known what had happened I could've found and took the boy in…Minato was a dear friend."

"Yes, but fate seems to smile on us." Ozpin stated as he got up, revealing a picture. "Kushina had two children, her daughter is older than Naruto. I can sense that the Maiden powers are still in balance. I summarized that Kushina on her deathbed passed along her powers to her. It's imperative that we find her, and keep Ms. Amber safe."

"No kidding, but what about The Great Beasts, if Remnant knew about them then it would be in turmoil." Qrow offered up as Ozpin took a heavy sigh.

"This war in the shadows has raged on for millennium, Grimm and Salem vs. all of us. I sensed it within Naruto when we first met, he carries the soul of light that broke off from Salem when she turned against the world." Ozpin explained as he crossed his arms. "I have a feeling Kurama will be arriving in the coming months, the fox can make himself shrink or transform to hide his appearance. Getting Naruto trained as a Huntsman is our first goal, maybe his powers fully manifest because of it…maybe they don't."

"What about his semblance, it hasn't activated yet." Taiyang told him as he looked over to see Qrow who looked away.

"Something you're not telling us?" Ozpin questioned.

Qrow looked at both. "His semblance has already been opened, but it's not unlike normal semblances that manifest in a unique power, no it's simply trying to reach back into the state it originally once was."

Ozpin understood, before looking at Qrow. "You and Raven were there when Naruto was born weren't you?"

The man looked at them, all they needed was what they needed, which was just a simple nod.


	17. Chapter 17: Beginnings

Naruto walked, his held high, a smile beaming across his face. He was wearing an outfit that Mebuki and Kizashi had sent him. This was to be his Hunter's uniform.

The uniform had a metal chest piece, with Haruno family crest in it, a diamond. The chest piece was just over a sleeveless black and orange shirt. On Naruto's arms were fabric armguards, meant to reduce the chance of him cutting his arm open if he landed on it first.

On his feet were a pair of black combat boots, metal plated at the bottom, and on his hands, were fingerless black leather gloves. His hair, much like that of his adoptive sister, was almost shoulder length. It waived in the winds as they blew past them from an incoming airship.

He turned to Sakura, having a bright smile on his face. "Looks like we're geared up to go, let's start this show." Naruto says to her and Sakura smirks as she bumped fist with him.

She was wearing clothing like Naruto, except it was a brighter color. White and pink, her family crest was on the back of her of combat dress. The duo broke their fists bump, before watching several familiar faces walk towards them.

"Looks like Patch is representing Vale, there are six of us here, six of us ready to kick some ass!" Yang slammed her right fist into her open left palm. "So, Naruto, liking the new look."

"Heh, thanks, don't think I dressed up for you though." Naruto points out while turning his gaze to Kiba.

"Kiba…"  
"Naruto…"

Naruto and him locked eyes, before grunting and facing away from each other. Rock Lee walked up from behind Kiba and Akamaru before smiling.

Rock Lee looked at Yang as walks, "I think it makes seven including Akamaru."

"That's true." The blonde Xiao-long agreed before smirking and watched her sister walk besides her.

Kiba, all decked out in leather armor, brushed past Naruto. "Don't fail on me…because I need a good sparring partner."

"Don't count me out Dog Breath, besides, I'm Naruto Uzumaki Haruno, I can't lose." Naruto states as he walks onto the airship with Kiba.

Ruby and Yang quickly follow with Sakura, all of them looking on with mixed feelings of anticipation and fear.

Naruto walked on ahead of Kiba before walking around, smiling as he saw a news broadcaster on hologram.

 _"_ _In other recent news, just a few days ago, Lower Vale was rocked awake by fighting between members of Torchwick Cartel and an unknown entity. However, currently the identity of the two are being withhold for their safety, but all we can say is that there were two young heroes that took a stand against the infamous Cartel. We're also asking viewers to help us track Torchwick down, he's a man in his late thirties, bright orange hair, and usually seeing wearing rather expensive attire. Any information, just dial four-two-one on your scrolls. Thank you watching Val-!"_ the hologram was cut off as the airship began to take off, before a woman that Naruto and Ruby met in the police station took over the image.

 _"_ _Hello future students, my name is Glynda Goodwitch, allow me to be the first to congratulate you. You've demonstrated courage, the power, and the wisdom to be one of the few selected to attend the most prestigious academy in Vale. Beacon, a place of new beginnings, a place to hone your skills, a place where legends are born. You've been selected to be taught during a time of peace the art of stopping The Grimm Threat, if you're willing to be taught…you will succeed. Failure comes only from yourself, and as you near the halfway point here, allow me to say welcome to Beacon…on behalf of Vale."_

"Hey, isn't that the lady that visited you two?" Yang questions Naruto and Ruby as she watches Vale become smaller as the airship gains altitude.

"Yep!" both answered her in an equally excited tone.

"Cool, so what are you doing Naruto when you get on ground?" Naruto scratches his chin at Yang's inquiry.

"Probably go exploring, breathe in the fresh air, and get ready to fight Grimm." Naruto smashed his fists together at the last notion. "Besides, it'll be fun _Yanging_ out."

Yang glared at him, her lilac eyes turning red. "You d _id not_ pun my name."

"And if I did?" Naruto eyes her while smiling, "because I'm pretty sure they got a sparing arena in Beacon."

"Round two of Yang's Dojo?" She questions as she smirks through her glare.

"Maaaybe.' Naruto turned around before walking away, making Yang's eyes widen a little bit, before they turned back around.

Naruto stopped, before feeling a familiar sensation again. Closing his eyes, he allowed his aura to barely leak out. The mix haired teen had been practicing in sensing aura ever since the incident with Roman, and it only helped him when he got Lee and Yang to help him.

The aura he was feeling, however, wasn't dark.

Walking over to where he felt it, he came face to face with blonde haired and blue eyed teen. The teen looked sick, to which Naruto acted on. "You okay man?"

"I-I have motion sickness." The teen spoke as he clutched his mouth before rushing over to the trashcan by Naruto and puking.

The mixed haired blonde winced slightly before chuckling a little bit. "Tell you the truth, just don't look out the windows…it helps, like a lot." Naruto states as watches the teen finish. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Haruno by the way."

"O-oh, um, I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc." Naruto watches as Jaune extends his right hand out to which he takes and shakes it. "It's nice to meet you…Naruto…right?"

"Yeah, hey man, why you are hanging out here by yourself. We've got thirty minutes before heading into Beacon." Naruto points towards his friends. "Why don't you hang out with us?"

"Sure." Jaune agrees as he finished throwing up, before walking over to the group.

"Whoa, whoa!" Yang yells. "Hold up, eey no, I'm wanting to stay dry for once."

"Yang!" Ruby yelled as she caught the pun, before facing away from her sister. "That's uncalled for!"

"Alright, fine, Vomit Boy. I'm Yang." Yang states only to back away when Jaune offers his hand, "and I'm aiming to stay well."

"Hey, c'mon Yang, he's got motion sickness, besides he earned his spot here with us. Heck, he may even be a sparring partner than me!" Naruto patted Jaune's back as he speaks with a bright smile on his face. "Us blondes are powerful after all."

"Please…" Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yet, you're the first one knocked out for being so stupid enough rush in."

"I second that motion!" Kiba yells from across the airship.

"No one asked you dog breath!" Naruto yells back before grumbling and turning to see Jaune. "Don't pay heed to Yang, she's always a firecracker."

Yang flicks Naruto off, chuckling a little bit. Jaune looked at the two before noticing something about Naruto and Sakura. "Are you guys brother and sister…you both have the same crest in your armor." He observes as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, she's my sister, well adoptive sister." Naruto confirms for him while smiling. "I wouldn't trade her for the world."

"Aww, love you too Naruto." Sakura hugged him only to feel him chuckling. "Naruto…"

"Even if she's loud as a bansh-aah!" Naruto fell forwards, a large lump growing on his head, "ow!"

"You idiot, why do you blondes have to be annoying pranksters!" Sakura yells as her eyes were pure white with rage.

"I'm not a prank-aah!" Jaune screamed like a girl as Sakura turned to him.

"Give…it…time." She growls out as she marched away from Naruto, stopping in front of Yang and picked up her up to place her out of the way rather roughly but easily.

"Um…Naruto, you okay?" Jaune inquires as he sees the blonde laying on the ground rubbing the bump.

"Worth it…totally worth it!" Naruto yells out before falling back down on the ground.

Ruby just gives a frustrated sigh, before holding her hand out. "Ruby Rose." She says to Jaune who takes it.

"Jaune Arc, future Grimm Slaying Hunter Number One." He states while making Ruby chuckled, only to hear Naruto laugh slightly.

"Oh, you and me…and Yang are going to get along just fine." Naruto points out before laying on the floor. "I'mma nap."

* * *

Akahana stood in a white void, she felt weird, as if she wasn't alone in it. Walking forwards, she noticed her little brother, his back to her. "Little brother?"

There was no answer, but suddenly she saw several people stood up to stand up next to him. She noticed that he wore a family crest on the back of his shirt, a diamond, and a girl standing next to him wore the same crest…along with a man and a woman.

Kurama, hobbles down, before taking a smile. **"** **It seems Naruto is subconsciously trying to enter the realm of communication…but he's too preoccupied dreaming."**

"Kurama…you said your other half was with him, why can't he use the cloak?" Akahana inquires as she walked over to the group of people as they grew.

 **"** **It's because of him lacking a Maiden's power. You're able to use my cloak form, my Bijuu Mode, due to having the power to counterbalance as The Summer Maiden. If he wore to use it, he'd die, unless I was whole inside of him to counterbalance my own negative energy…or positive energy for that matter."** Kurama explains as they look around, the fox grew a surprised face.

"What's wrong Kurama?" noticing him looking right at Sakura.

 **"** **Haruno Sakura, she and family was brought from the void of Heaven as well?"** He openly questions his thoughts before noticing something was off. **"** **The Original Team Seven got reincarnated…"**

"Team Seven…are you talking about the original Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke?" Kurama nodded as he looked towards Akahana as she questions him, he gives a very heavy sigh, before looking around. "Kurama?"

 **"** **I must consult someone…it will take some time, months even. You'll be reliant on the other Divine Beasts."** Kurama states before getting into a meditative stance in the white void.

"Who?" Akahana questioned once again, before Kurama looked right at her.

 **"** **Toneri Otsutsuki."** Kurama growled out the name before the white void seemed to shake at the mention of his name.

* * *

Just like that, Akahana found herself expelled from the void, although Kurama sent a lot of his chakra with her.

Waking on the back of Isobu, Akahana felt warm for some reason, only turn and see that Sasuke had her clutched in his arms. She wanted to protest, but she couldn't find it in her to do so, and that it was also very cold outside.

 **"** **We are near the city of Mantle…I cannot go any further without exposing myself."** Isobu commented only to see someone leap from an ice shelf.

"Sasuke!" Akahana yells as she noticed someone land on the head of Isobu as well.

The man standing before them had dark gray hair, going down his back, spikey like a lion's mane. Sasuke gets up, rather calmly, before smirking. "Grandfather, long time no see." He says to the man who simply twirled the battle fan he held around.

"Ah, my grandson, bringing home an Uzumaki? How very predictable, our clans have always been sort of friendly with one another." Sasuke's Grandfather stated, his eyes red like Sasuke's.

"Grandfather, now is not the time for jokes…Kushina and Minato are dead. Akahana is the only survivor off Taiyo, Salem's gaining power." Sasuke states the situation. "If we don't get to Vale soon, they may switch tactics and go for her little brother."

"Little brother…" The Grandfather eyed before narrowing them. "You mean Akahana, there, isn't the only child?"

"Huh…I was born before my brother…what's your name by the way?" The old man smirked, before walking towards them.

"I'm Madara Uchiha, Leader of The Uchiha Clan, and main council member of Atlas. Kurama, the nine-tailed fox that I assume is either dead and reincarnating or is inside of you informed me of your soon arrival. I decided to detach myself, and now we're here, in this icy hell." Madara tells her and made both her and Sasuke eyes widened.

"You got all of that…just by looking at me?" Madara chuckles at Akahana's words.

"Heaven's no, I'm just a really good guesser, but I recommend you stand back." Madara dashed behind them, before spinning around.

As he did, a shadow emerged out of Isobu's shell. "He detected me?!" the shadow yelled out before taking the form a pale man with long black hair. Sasuke grabbed Akahana when she went to engage him as well, but she only watched as he shook his head.

"Don't, my Grandfather has got this." Sasuke says as he anchored him and Akahana to the back of Isobu as an explosion of wind flowed around them.

It howled, almost like that of giant bird.

Madara jumped onto the water, not sinking in anyway as he used his control of his aura to keep him afloat. The pale man's eyes widened as he was faced down by Madara. "I should've known that an Uchiha Master would be able to see me…but I thought the cover of those zombies kept me hidden long enough to make it to Mantle."

"Too bad, so tell me, what's your name." Madara questions the man who was surprisingly standing on the water as well.

"I am no one, but everyone. Mistress Salem's will allows me to take the form I desire." Madara chuckled.

"A Geist with aura and sentience." Madara twirled his fan around. "Too bad you'll be respawned after a while, I was kind of enjoying the moment."

The Geist growled out before forming hand seals. "Oh…you can form Hand seals? Apparently, Salem still weaves them. After all, I know what you're doing, Salem."

The Geist's eyes grew black veins around them, becoming red. "Die Uchiha!"

The hand seals were finished as a giant dragon made of water emerged from behind The Salem Controlled Geist. Madara merely pursed his lips, before holding up his palm. The hollowing roar of a giant mass of aura contorting to the shape of being loudly sounded through the ice shelves like a ghostly wail.

The blue arm of a Susanoo grabbed the dragon, squeezing it until it deformed and splashed around the area. The water falling soon formed to ice needles and sped towards Madara. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke dashed forwards, his eyes bleeding as a massive torrent of black flame erupted just in front of Madara. The ice melted easily into vapor, where Madara spun his fan around and blew a giant gust of wind again.

Aiming downwards to the where The Geist was.

The Geist's eyes widened as the wind impacted, causing waves as tall as fifty high to crash against the ice shelf. A loud explosion was heard as The Geist exploded in a black mist, indicating a massive amount of negative energy had been stored inside of it.

Madara jumped onto the back of Isobu, smirking as he turned to Akahana and Sasuke. "So, tell me, when and how this thing got aboard?"

"We don't know…" Akahana says as she looked around in fear. "Is it the last one?"

"Yes and no, it's a controlled puppet by Salem…meant to silently eliminate enemies. However, the only reason she didn't attack was because of the other divine beasts being around. I guess she wants the Maiden power bad." Madara summarizes as he walks over to them. "We should move…"

"Why would she want The Power of a Maiden?" Akahana questioned as Madara formed his Susanoo.

 **"** **Prior to his death, Uzumaki Naruto of my time separated his true power into four relics. These four relics are only accessible via a Maiden's power. The Maidens themselves are pieces of the former Uchiha Sasuke."** Akahana looked at Sasuke, who sighed.

"Which is why my family is always charged to protect Maidens…who better to protect them than the clan that gave rise to them…" Sasuke speaks as he gets inside of Madara's Susanoo.

Akahana looked at them, before nodding and getting in as well.

* * *

Salem was livid, she slammed her hands on the stone table had been sitting on. Her red eyes glaring in the darkness as she got up, and blasted the doors to the chamber open. "Orochimaru!" she yelled.

The snake man was busy with overlooking Hiruzen, when she confronted him. "Yes, Lady Salem?"

"The Geist you created, the one that Minato's body launched onto The Sanbi…it got found by Madara Uchiha." She growled as the ground shook from inside the temple they resided in. "That Geist was the only means I had of fully keeping tabs on that little girl."

"Heh, so it seems we've reached an impasse." Orochimaru finished with Hiruzen, pulling out a needle with a black liquid inside of it. "I've been refueling the resurrected with the substance you've created for me, it'll boost their aura, but don't expect a super powered Kushina…if anything it'll only allow them to access fifty percent of their former power."

"Uzumaki Naruto…did he cause the damage to that human flesh puppet?" She inquires on Hiruzen while insulting the former.

Orochimaru chuckled as pulled a tiny camera off the man. "Why yes, he did, he's subconsciously remembering his past life's techniques…but will he remember you is the question."

"I'm not sure if he'll remember me, after all, when we met in the sealed dimension he warned me off my choice having a consequence." She chuckled before forming a glowing orb in her hand. "He's probably sent for Toneri already, but that feeble old man is probable but nothing short dust and bone."

"You seem so sure, Otsutsuki clan members were always divine, they can live a long time if they're presented with enough life energy." Orochimaru stated as he slithered towards Kushina and Minato.

"Hmph, my mother's former incarnation survived two thousand more years after her last sealing." Salem turned to face Orochimaru. "Humanity will learn that my former gave them one too many chances, and even denied their death sentence under my powers. I was born of noble blood, born of Godly blood, and I think it's my birthright to rule over all creation…not just pathetic rock."

"He-he-he…" Orochimaru laughed as he looked at her before smiling. "I have an idea…it'll take months but it may allow you to personally confront Uzumaki Naruto."

"Go on." Salem orders as she walked over to chair and took a seat.

"I can transfer your powers into someone, someone you could manipulate…someone Naruto would never ever suspect." Orochimaru slithered over to a projection gauntlet and slid the small camera into it.

A still picture of Naruto walking with Sakura was presented to Salem. "Is that his lover…or someone else?"

"Try sister, adoptive sister." Orochimaru cackled menacingly. "All I would need is an opportunity to capture her, say a diversion, and I can inject your essence into her."

Salem grew a devious smile on her face, before cackling. "Orochimaru…you are one devious demon."

"Oh, but my lady I assure you…I can be much worse."


	18. Chapter 18: A riddle

"Oh, that guy has a collapsible staff! No, that girl has a fire sword, holy crap, look at the size of that great blade he must be stronger than you Sakura!" Ruby called out as she watched a third-year student walk by them. "Aww~ Beacon is awesome already~"

"Um, Ruby…" She turned to Naruto, before seeing two outlines at both of his sides to where Sakura and Yang should be. "I think Sakura found Lee and Yang went after them."

"How long?" Ruby questioned as she crossed her arms.

"About two minutes into your little gawking." Naruto pointed out while twirling around one of his knives. "Although I got to admit this place frigging sweet!"

"I know right!" Ruby yells before gushing at the weapons her and Crescent Rose would get to meet.

Naruto cringed slightly, his fox ears hurting from the yell, before smiling a little bit. "Yeah, plus what if we end up teams together? Eh, eh, think about it! You and I kick butt already and we're still total noobs at this."

"Ha, you're right, we'd dominate everyone here even your sis." Naruto almost heard a bell go off somewhere, before his fingers slightly twitched at Ruby's suggestion.

 _"_ _Eh-hehe…um…"_ A mental image of Sakura with bright white eyes came into his mind and a very pissed off expression made Naruto shake a little bit. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves…Sakura and Yang together are probably the best hand-to-hand fighters in our group coming in."

"Yet aren't you trained as a fist fighter?" Ruby asks as she turns around only to bump into someone, which caused red dust to fly everywhere. "Oh…aah-crap…aahh!"

Naruto's eyes glowed red as he moved, before grabbing Ruby and the white-haired girl she had bumped into as Ruby sneezed. Luckily getting them out of the dust cloud in time before his own aura made it detonate. His shielding, provided with his aura cloak spread to both of the girls, before he took a deep breath.

His red eyes turning back to their normal blue. "Ruby you've got to be more careful." Naruto points out, "and are yo-ow?!"

Naruto suddenly got slapped before the white hair girl stood up. "How dare you push me, do you have any idea who I am?!" She screams before looking at Ruby, "and you owe me an entire week's worth of Burn Dust Powder!"

"Jeez, not a thank you, and I just got on my friend about her clumsiness." Naruto rubbed his cheek, before frowning a little bit. "And who are you to act all high and mighty anyhow?"

"And who are you?!" The White Hair girl screamed as she crossed her arms, "you're not supposed to be using aura willy-nilly like that!"

"First off, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Huntsman of Vale…probably the best…and second stop yelling already!" Naruto yells at Weiss as he covers his fox ears. "I mean c'mon, really?! We get it, you're probably some famous transfer student."

"Actually, she's a Schnee…" A black-haired teen with a bow says as she came walking towards them, not once looking away from Naruto.

"Finally." The Schnee states as she looks at Naruto.

"Who are The Schnee?" Naruto inquires making all three girls look at him.

"You mean to tell me you dust based weaponry doesn't use my company's dust?" Weiss questions.

"Um, actually, I use stuff delivered from Menagerie Mining Company." Naruto rubs the back of his head, "they're actually a small company my dad works for and has business in Patch."

The Black-haired girl looked on with a smile, "and don't use shady business tactics. You are…?"

"Yeah, hold up a second, who _are_ you?" Naruto questions with the girl while Ruby looks at them.

"I'm Weiss Schnee bird for brains! I'm the future owner of The Schnee Dust Company, and you, what are you? Oh, just some famous transfer student?" Weiss haughtily retorts as she crosses her arms.

Ruby squeaks out, "yeah…" while rubbing her arm, where Naruto had grabbed her to push them away.

"Oh, how so?" Weiss questions as she arrogantly holds her head up, "what did you stop a hoard of monsters…or faunus?'

Naruto looked at Ruby before both sputtered and started laughing.

"Wh-what's so funny?!" Weiss yells as she started getting annoyed.

"Someone call the H.A.F, we got a spokesperson here!" Naruto states as he points at Weiss, before Ruby joined in.

"I'm not a member!" Weiss argues as she points out the assumption.

"Okay, for real, we're the guys that stopped Roman Torchwick from stealing your dust. You're welcome princess." Naruto waived her off as he turned his back to meet the black-haired girl. "And, sorry, you're?"

"Blake Belladonna." The girl stoic answers as she crosses her arms.

"Well Blake, sorry if we bothered you." Naruto took a glance at the book she was carrying. "Is that a Ninja Love Volume One?"

"Collectors addition, why…do you like Ninja Love?" Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head at Blake's question.

"Yep," Naruto besides him and pulled a book out from his beltline, "Volume One."

Blake may have not shown it, but, the girl was jumping for joy inside of her head. "And, you don't think it's too…adulty?"

"Heck no." Naruto states as he points at Ruby. "She reads my copy when I'm not looking."

"How the hell!" Ruby yells before sighing in defeat, "right…fox hearing."

"C'mon on Ruby, don't be embarrassed about it, literally there's another girl right in front of us that reads the same thing!" Naruto says loudly as he turns back to Blake, "sorry about that. Ruby's shy when it comes to things involving ahem…adulty."

"Filth…" Ruby interjects.

"Not filth, and I would love to trade ideas on what Volume Two is going to be like." Naruto offered up, which made Blake smile.

"Sure, but…wouldn't your girlfriend be mad?" Naruto looked surprised a little bit at Blake's question.

"Um…no, I…um…" Naruto nervously sputtered as he looked back and forth between Blake and Ruby. "I…she's not my…girlfriend."

"We're too young to date." Ruby points out, "hard work and studying."

"How old are you two?" Weiss questions as she crosses her arms, "if you're seventeen that'll be weird."

"Oh no, I'm sixteen." Naruto points out as he smirks. "I'm just not really wanting to focus on stuff like that…you know…besides I just got to Beacon."

* * *

Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow watch Naruto exchanging with the students below them. Ozpin and Qrow looked at each other, both sensing a massive well of untapped aura in the boy…none of it matching any of The Divine Beasts they had catalogued just in case of a visit in human form was ever to happen.

"It's incredible…" Glynda merely stated as she opened her eyes.

"Yes, but it feels a lot like Salem's…" Ozpin pointed out as he opened his eyes as well. "I do hope that you have something planned…" he turned around to face Madara's hologram, "Madara."

"It'll feel a lot like Salem's because of the boy's uncertain alignment, we all start neutral…but the choices we make and the feelings we feel determines if our aura will either shine bright…or grow darker than the abyss." Madara's hologram states as he looks at all three of them. "Sasuke, and Akahana both arrived yesterday."

"Yes, but the news that Naruto and Ruby gave to us…along with Akahana and Sasuke is troubling. Salem's aura fueling bodies to reanimate and do her bidding is something unprecedented. We've only known of her possession ability." Ozpin tells Madara as they both look at each other tensely.

"Is the scroll still in your possession Ozpin?" Madara questions as he folds his arms behind his back.

"Yes, but Haven recently reported that the sword recently went missing." Ozpin points out, "along with their Spring Maiden."

"This is troubling…why hasn't Lionheart reported?" Madara asks.

"Because I think he doesn't know who took the sword, if anyone even did, he may just be faking the news as a precaution to test our communications for any breaches." Ozpin answers within reason while pointing out a scenario possibly in play.

"We have The Necklace with us, combined with the scroll in your possession makes two of four of the sacred treasures needed for Salem to break the barrier holding her." Madara points out before taking a deep breath. "I feel as though we're being played."

"How so?" Ozpin asks.

"All these attacks, they seem to just be pushing Sasuke and Akahana. Why push them further away from you, why push them towards allies? If they were truly after Naruto that one husk had the opportune time to get him…it doesn't make sense." Madara explains his reasoning as he crossed his arms and gripped his fists. "I love to dance, but the way Salem is dancing is way to erratic. Not only that it seems desperate, perhaps the waiting she has done has taken its final toll and she's trying to speed things up anyway possible with her plans."

"No, that is what she would want us to think. That monster has been trapped in that continent for the last three millennia. She has plenty of things to entertain her, she's trying to get us to make a move, and being so close to Vytal it may just be targeted at us." Qrow says as he finally speaks up.

"Qrow and Raven were both on Taiyo when Salem broke away from her sealed state. They barely managed to get out alive, but Naruto was lost by Raven. We got him back now, perhaps the chaos of losing her one chance at freedom is now forcing her to move faster just in case something happens to him." Glynda offers.

"Not likely, her key…or keys, are the relics." Qrow says, "I think she's afraid of Naruto."

"Even with that massive reserve he's maybe at best fifteen one twentieth of Salem's full power." Ozpin points out, "She has no reason to be afraid of him no more a reason we fear a common Beowulf."

"Yes, but even a Beowulf can be fatal if given an opportunity." Qrow retorts as he leans against the wall, "if she turns her back on him it'll be a costly mistake since he is only other person besides Maiden's that can tap into the relics. Killing him isn't out of the question, but her key would be dead, no…she wants him. She wants him to do something first."

"Like what?" Glynda questions as she shakes her head, "get stronger?"

"I think so, remember her possession ability is easier on dead flesh…but it can be done on a live person." Ozpin agrees while taking a deep breath, "more reason for him to get stronger…given their connection."

"That implies Naruto is not her target then…" Everyone looked at each other, before Ozpin walked over to his desk and pulled out a locket.

Opening the locket, he looked to see that Kushina's picture had changed to that of Akahana. Amber was still Fall Maiden, Azure was still winter, and Ame spring. Ozpin took a deep breath, "Kushina death is confirmed, her daughter has assumed the role. Every one of the Maidens are still under our protection or not being killed under our nose."

"Akahana also has most of The Divine Beasts watching over, Salem wouldn't risk a direct attack." Madara interjected, "but she has been spying on them using improved Geists. Geists that are directly under her control, her hatred of my clan is still as strong as ever, my grandson was the target of the Geist I believe."

"These are…troubling finds. It's almost as if Salem is somehow watching our movements…" Ozpin closed his eyes before sighing. "All things considered the best we could hope to do at this point is not be too rash, let us dance this waltz carefully…not turn it into an energetic tango…right Madara?"

"Correct, but be warned, Akahana is currently looking to see her brother. Maybe this is what Salem is wanting."

* * *

Naruto walked with Ruby, they soon found Sakura and Yang. "Any luck on Lee?"

"Yeah, he's conversing with other boys, yet your hanging around here with us girls." Sakura grabbed her brother by his armguard, "go out and live a little…or is it that you and Ruby can't stand being away from each other."

"Sakura/Sis!" Ruby and Naruto yelled in embarrassment.

"She's only teasing baby sis, besides I heard you got saved by him…again." Yang pointed out, "that's two you owe him."

"Two what?!" Ruby yells.

Yang smirks evilly as she makes kissing faces in a comical manner. Ruby stood there grinding her teeth together as she had a tick mark develop over her forehead, before blushing a bright red. Naruto was averting his gaze a little, blushing.

"Okay Yang, stop killing them, or they'll try to kill us." Sakura points out as slowly drags Naruto. "Besides we got to go to the meeting area."

"Meeting area?" Naruto questions as he's being dragged.

* * *

Naruto and co. slowly walked into a large auditorium. Naruto noticed a lot students out and about, all of them looking at the stage. The blonde-red hair mix slowly worked his way through the crowd, finding himself at the forefront of all.

The tapping of a microphone brought everyone's attention to bare, more so for Naruto when he saw it was Ozpin on the stand.

"May I have your attention please." Ozpin called as he put his arms behind his back.

The students all fell silent, as Ozpin looked at everyone, glancing over towards Ruby and Yang, then Naruto and Sakura. As Ozpin glanced over he noticed something, a student behind the audience with dark red hair and a dark complexion, she didn't seem like anyone he seen in his files.

Naruto looked at Ozpin before feeling uneasy, as if someone was watching him, closing his eyes, he sent a small bust of aura out. Not enough for anyone to visibly notice, it was like a radar ping, but when a dark ping returned Naruto grew very uneasy.

 _"_ _It can't be…"_ Naruto eyes scanned about as he opened his eyes.

"Anyway, sorry for that, my brain sometimes stalls with old age." Naruto's attention was snapped back to Ozpin. "So, forgive me for the awkward silence."

"Anyway, everyone, welcome to Beacon Academy. You've strived, toiled, and honed your skills to be allowed to walk these halls. Our staff here, veteran Huntsmen and Huntswomen are here to even further hone your art. However, joining this academy is not like any normal school, there will be no teacher's accompanying twenty-four-seven. You must find your own strengths, learn from your own weaknesses, and either succeed or fail on your volition." Ozpin gazed at the dark redhead as she looked back at him, smirking, that's when he noticed a separate aura around her…it was a Geist possession. "You will face dangers here, you will face odds that may seem overwhelming, but let us not forget life itself has faced overwhelming odds since the dawn of time."

Qrow took notice of where Ozpin was looking, he was on top of a support beam, making sure to stay out of sight. He was impressed to notice Naruto had taken notice of the foul energy when everyone else was just standing around it. Qrow sensing the aura knew that the girl possessed wasn't a body but a live person, which complicated the situation.

He doubted this was a direct Salem controlled Geist since one had been recently killed.

"Students, we welcome you, but first you must prove to us that you are worth teaching and have talent. We will have an elimination test this year…and the rules are simple. You will either appear for the morning round or the afternoon round based on number selected. One meaning morning, two meaning afternoons. Once you get your selected number you'll notice a second digit at the bottom, you see the morning rounds start at six o'clock sharp, but you'll have three hours to complete the objective given before the second group jumps in. Failure to complete the test in the allotted time means…" Ozpin stopped as he glared right at the redhead girl smiling at him. "Expulsion."

Everyone murmured.

"The first person you find, regardless of past grievances between you, will be your partner for the rest of your four year tenure here as well." Ozpin watched as the students stood there struck dumb.

Naruto glanced over at Sakura, Ruby, and looked nervous.

 _"_ _I know I want Sakura, definitely want Sakura on my team and as my partner…but Ruby…gah…idiot."_ Naruto rubbed the back of his head a little too rough as he looked nervous.

"My recommendation is a good night's rest…" Ozpin quickly left the podium he had been standing at.

Everyone soon erupted in an uproar.

The uproar made Naruto hold his ears, forcing him to slowly exit the room with Sakura in tow.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura entered a hallway while Naruto was holding his ears, "I hate loud noises."

"I know brother, but I noticed you glancing between me and Ruby…something up?" Naruto looked nervous as he looked at Sakura. "That's not it, is it?"

"Indeed, it's not." Both turned to see the carry of the soft feminine voice, revealing the dark redhead from inside the auditorium. "Hello…Naruto."

Naruto stepped in front of Sakura, "you took the form of a girl now?"

"Form?" She chuckled, "my dear child…you're so oblivious. I merely want to talk with you, before meddlers come and crash in."

"I don't even know you!" Naruto yells as he readies himself to fight.

"Naruto?" Sakura questions, "is this the guy you and Ruby fought."

"Yes and no, she…he…I don't frigging know!" Naruto yells holding his head as he felt a surge of confusion rush through him. "I know that aura from anywhere."

"Indeed, after all if I had it my way I'd be slipping the knife into that Silver Eyed Wench right about now." Naruto growled at the mention of Ruby, but then watch that same girl chuckle as if she was telling a joke. "Just look at you, all those emotions rushing into you, it's delicious."

"Who are you...last time." Sakura cracked her knuckles as she growls, "before I lay the biggest beatdown you'll ever feel."

The girl chuckled as she looked right into Naruto's eyes, before smirking. "I'm just a messenger, and I've come to give you this riddle Naruto."

They all looked at her as she turned away from him. "When a tree is cut down, the sun setting, what comes soon after?"

Naruto moved to catch the girl but was shocked when she simply went limp, falling forwards. Just then Naruto noticed a Grimm emerge from her, a Geist, it's red eyes trained on him.

It all the while, while looking at him, seemingly smirking.


	19. Chapter 19: Nightmare

"Look all I'm saying is that we got to be careful, if it's a control semblance we could fall under it." Sakura says as she walks with Naruto down the hall, they had just got out of meeting about the incident with Ozpin. "I think whoever was working for Roman has a got a serious hate against you."

"That or he just wants round two, which I will deliver on." Naruto growls as he cracks his knuckles, "if they so much a lay a hand on you…Ruby…Yang…anyone I'm going to go to prison for genocide."

"Nights coming soon." Sakura stops as she looks at the setting sun outside of a large window.

"Yeah…" Naruto groans as he felt uneasy, as if something _still_ was watching him.

Naruto and Sakura started walking only for her to stop, and then smile. "Being serious Naruto, right now, do you like Ruby?"

"Yeah…a lot actually…" Naruto scratches his chin as he came to a stop. "Why?"

"You better tell her, ask her out, make her a strawberry sundae. Just something, because you've got a lot of competition here." Sakura giggled at the end, "in fact there this one bulky redhead guy that was just eyeing her the entire time."

"Isn't it a little weird for a fifteen-year-old to date a seventeen-year-old?" Naruto deadpans as he looks at Sakura incredulously.

"From what I hear he's just now turning seventeen, and with your birthday just around the corner Naruto…" Sakura stopped when Naruto stopped as he had the look of someone who just seen a ghost. "Naruto…?"

Naruto thought about something, birthday, it was such a strange word now. It held a significance to the situation at hand, and one memory came to his mind.

* * *

 _An eight-year-old Naruto was hiding under the bed as his grandfather stood up, the door to their apartment was busted open as several thugs walked in. Naruto's only light was coming off the eight birthday candles on his small whip cream cake that his grandfather bought for him._

 _His grandfather was standing up, a long and thick staff held behind his back. "And, you would be?" he heard the old man sternly question the thugs._

 _"_ _A rival gang to Roman's, we heard there's a little bastard here fishing for him…we wanted to tell him to stay off our turf."_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, but gentlemen, you have the wrong address." Hiruzen sternly states as he turns his back to the men._

 _"_ _well then," the lead thug grabs a sword and charges the old man in front him, "we've just got to deliver a bloody message!"_

 _Naruto watched as his grandfather simply hoisted the staff over his shoulder, "extend."_

 _The staff extended out, impacting the man right in his face, sending him careening out of the door while the old man then used the surprise to smash the two groups of bandits at the doorway against the enlarged staff's metal bottom._

 _The men all laid groaning, all the while, the man Hiruzen had hit in the face laid still…deathly still._

 _"_ _Last chance gentlemen, leave…or die." Hiruzen warned them and watched mildly amused as they got up and fled, "and don't ever come back again."_

 _Naruto came crawling from under the bed, looking at his grandfather. "Wow…"_

 _"_ _Naruto…" the small blonde turned to his adoptive grandfather. "I'm not mad at you, you do what you can to bring money in…but please do not go everywhere to get it…ever again."_

 _Naruto nodded as he slowly hugged Hiruzen's leg. "Sorry grandpa."_

 _"_ _It's okay," the man patted the boy's head, "c'mon we've got a cake to eat."_

* * *

"Sakura…I…think I know who the guy behind the mask is." Naruto clutched his armor before running and Sakura following along with him.

"Naruto, what do you mean?! Naruto!" Sakura yells as they run towards the luggage area.

Naruto and Sakura end up at the luggage area, Naruto throwing his clothing and spare kunai across the ground as he came upon a few books and pictures. "Is that your Grandfather's Photos?"

"Yeah..." Naruto opened them, revealing pictures of a staff in background of each picture. Placed on a stand, along with black battle armor. Naruto shook as he skimmed the pages, before trying to process everything, before throwing the photobook against the piled clothing. "Someone stole my grandfather's stuff. Which is why I couldn't find his staff and armor…just the books."

"Yeah," Sakura looked at some of the books, noticing one just for Naruto. "Naruto isn't that a manual book for staff teachings?"

"Yeah, my grandfather bought it for more from a friend of his…a Wuxia Zi." Naruto picked up the book, smiling a little bit, before he gave a saddened sigh. "I can't help but think Sakura, what if he was still alive…would I have ever had met you…would I still be working for Roman?"

"It's best not to dwell on that." Sakura tells him as they both sat down, before Naruto looked at the manual before opening it.

"The Six Forms of The Godly Staff of The Monkey King. The Tang Overlord Spear, Xaiyo Staff Circle Defense, Drunken Duster, Red Leaf Catcher, Unwavering Oak Tree, and…Tree Cutting Thrust." Naruto stops nervously reading as he came to the last one, before looking at Sakura. "Holy crap…"

"Yeah…" Sakura was in awe of the book, before Naruto looked at it with a sadden stare.

"He wore this for me," he was starting to shake, "and I never just had to willpower to look through all of our old photos together…"

"Wounds like that never really heal Naruto, they just fade, but never fully heal." Sakura says as she looks at him with a small smile. "But, we're here, you've made it."

* * *

Naruto slowly walked before coming into a hallway, there he stifled a laugh. "Jaune, what the heck!"

There was Jaune, in a Mighty Pete onesie, standing there with a pillow. "What?"

"That's a onesie man, I've not worn one since I was five, and it wasn't no rabbit either!" Naruto pointed at Jaune and started laughing a little. "I'm sorry, but you've made my day man."

"I have to admit…it's actually pretty hilarious." Sakura chimed in.

"Oh, c'mon, it's Mighty Pete." Jaune states in his defense, "it's a limit edition onesie I won off a cereal box code."

Both Sakura and Naruto looked at each other before blurting out laughing, Naruto on the ground clutching his stomach.

"Go get eaten by a Beowulf!" Jaune yelled as he marched away, red from embarrassment.

"Oh, c'mon Jaune, Jaune! It's just a joke, lighten up buddy!" Naruto calls out before sighing and crossing his arms, "well…that happened."

They continued walking, following where Jaune had went. Coming to a stop, they found where the other students were, before Naruto put on shirt two sizes too big for himself. "Well Sakura I'm going to go find the rest of our people."

"Go on ahead lover boy." Sakura teased.

Naruto blushed red as he looked at her, "huh, no that's not it."

"Oh, c'mon Naruto, be honest, if you had a choice to partner with me or Ruby who'd it be?" Sakura questioned him, and raised her pink eye brow as well.

"I um…I would choose you, you're my sister. We work together better since we've literally trained each other." Naruto states with pride and puffs out his chest, "but if we should end up with anyone else in the four men cell we'll probably have…I wouldn't mind…you know…Ruby."

"Sure, sure, go on then I'm going to go look for the lady's room." Sakura says as she starts walking away before turning around, "and Naruto don't be causing any trouble."

* * *

"Heighten security detail, and make sure all of the students are where they're supposed to be." Glynda talks on her scroll before walking over towards Ozpin as he sat his desk, before sipping on his coffee. "Yes, I know we're limited right now, if anything call in a LEO squad we'll deal with the fines later."

"Stop." Ozpin looked at Glynda, who just hanged up the scroll.

"I can't believe a Geist possessed girl got through our security checks, how?" Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose, before giving a frustrated sigh.

"Honeycutt found a needle mark on the girl's neck, it may just be drug usage…but it's laced with a chemical and unknown substance." Ozpin tells her, he then takes another sip of his coffee.

"So, what, they're injecting Grimm into people now?" Glynda says as she paces, "this is wrong."

"No this is Salem's progress, she's perfecting something, but she has to be working with someone else. As knowledgeable as The Demoness Of The Ancients was…she's ignorant to medicinal practices." Ozpin takes a small sip, "and if I'm not mistaken she's been on the move for quite some time."

"Longer than we've been trying to stop her, I know, but when you sealed her soul in the mountain all those years ago…how did she come back?" Glynda inquired as she was too creeped out about the possibility of Grimm being injected into a human body.

"Salem is nothing more than a piece of the two forces that drive the world, light and darkness. At one point, Lord Kurama told us that she was whole, but a tragedy befell her and caused her to turn to the darkness. It's not so different than using Dark Aura when someone is truly possessed by the darkness in their hearts…only, she's fated." Ozpin stops before looking at the moon, "her fate and Naruto's are entwined together."

"Your semblance Ozpin, you store possible scenarios in time in that cane, what do they all say if Naruto is successful." Ozpin looks at Glynda as she asks that question.

"Hundreds of possibilities, they both die…they both live, Naruto absorbs the darkness and he himself becomes a new Salem, he purges the darkness, they join…it's endless Glynda. However, time isn't certain. Fate itself is just a choice, it's a question given to us once in a life time…do we answer it and take the consequences…or try to walk away from it?" Ozpin explains to her but ends it on a question.

"So, you're saying this responsibility that befalls onto Naruto may be too big for him to even handle?" Glynda questions.

"Yes," Ozpin sighs before finishing the rest of his coffee, "because I doubt I could manage it."

* * *

Naruto was asleep near Sakura and the rest of the people from Signal, he tossed and turned. He growled as he kept trying to toss and get comfortable, but found himself in a nightmare as he started to drift to sleep.

* * *

 _Naruto was fighting Grimm, but these Grimm were different, they had auras around them. Naruto managed to kill many of them, but as he struggled to withhold against a massive Beowulf, he watched as Sakura got tackled to the ground by another Beowulf of similar size._

 _"_ _Sakura!" Naruto screamed as he threw the one Beowulf off him. "Get away from her!"_

 _However, when the Beowulf bit into her, he saw it immediately back off. Confused, Naruto still destroyed the wolf demon. However, a dark aura flooded his senses, and turned around to see Sakura standing up. Blood running down her neck._

 _She bore the red eyes that Grimm had, but maintained a human form, save for the wound in her neck. She chuckled as she ran and punched Naruto. the blonde red-haired mix was sent flying into a sea of Grimm…which only became a sea of darkness._

 _Floating around, he struggled against the darkness, before feeling himself fall though it and onto a destroyed street. Naruto looked around, recognizing it as his childhood home where he grew up with Hiruzen, his grandfather._

 _Walking through it, he saw the masked man from before, holding his grandfather's staff and wearing his armor. "Who are you…" Naruto growled out, "and what have you done to Vale!"_

 _Merely, the man took off his mask, revealing to Naruto's horror a Hiruzen himself. Naruto stood there, shocked, but then saw Sakura form next to him via a mass of black smoke. They both chuckled, but it was different, it didn't sound anything like them._

 _It sounded too womanly, too soft, but in it a venom that could kill all of humanity…that would kill all of humanity. Naruto watched as several more of his friends, his family, started forming. All of them chuckling the same way._

 _"_ _What a joke…" Sakura spoke, but it wasn't her voice.  
"Unnerved by this, do you even know what power you have inside of you?" Hiruzen spoke, but it was a woman's voice.  
"A power that can topple Gods, a power that can seal way creators." Rock Lee states as he forms.  
"A power most foul, but most divine." Mebuki says as they all walked towards him.  
"The light inside of you, is twice as bright as mine was…but it'll only last half as long." Kizashi states, "such pity." _

_Naruto gripped his hands before he charged them, his red cloak forming around him. "Shut up!"_

 _He blitzes his way through them, uncaring of their visages, but found himself face to face with a white-haired woman with red eyes. She chuckled, before backing away. "Face me…"_

 _Naruto formed a Rasengan in his hand, before jumping up, and making it grow ever bigger. Putting all the energy he alone had into it, but the woman just stood there. When he brought it to bare, slamming it downwards, she merely tapped it with her right index finger._

 _The Rasengan contorted, before it just…popped…nothing unlike a bubble. Naruto came crashing to the ground, his aura completely drained. The woman didn't walk, she didn't even run, but merely hovered over towards him._

 _"_ _Your family, your friends." She snapped her fingers, "and your love."_

 _Naruto watched as everyone disappeared, before Ruby formed into their place. He watched as she just knelt, a lifeless expression on her face, but something weird happen. In a few seconds, her appearance changed, switching from that of a man to a little girl._

 _The man had lavender eyes, but they would form into silver when grunted. He had long navy-blue hair, which was spikey, and wore a kimono with sunflowers on it. Ruby switched with him every few seconds, before the shadow a faceless man stood to their side._

 _However, then the switching stopped, before Ruby ended up wearing the sunflower kimono. "If it'll cause…peace…if it'll stop war…" she muttered, "if it'll save him…"_

 _The woman took the faceless person place, lifting a great sword with one hand. "If it'll stop this madness…this war…if it'll save him…"_

 _"_ _Ruby…"  
"If it'll stop this war…this madness…"  
"Ruby."  
"Take my life, take it away, so hundreds more may live."  
"Ruby!" _

_Naruto watched, he tried to move, but only collapsed from exhaustion as this woman simply brought the sword down. Piercing through Ruby's chest and heart, Naruto shuddered…he had tears coming from his eyes as life left Ruby's._

 _"_ _it all can be gone in an instant, and no amount of divine power brings them back."_

 _Naruto got up, before the moon above him turned a sickly blood red. Naruto brought his hands to his face, sobbing as he felt something snapping inside of him. Black aura swirled around him as his rage was unleashed, before he roared out._

 _It wasn't the roar of a human, but of a monster._

 _Naruto's eyes turned dark red, his hair becoming bleached white. A flaming white haori formed around as the woman in front of him sobbed over the girl. Which then began to switch once again with lavender eye man, and the white hair woman baring blonde hair._

 _Naruto shook as he looked down at the water, seeing the white hair woman's demonic form looking back at him. A dark energy swirling around both. With one last roar, Naruto sent out a wave of flame and pressure that laid waste to everything in view._

* * *

Naruto shot up, sweat rolled down his body, he shook as he looked around. Everyone was still asleep, he shook his head. "Just a bad dream…just a very bad dream." Naruto got up and slowly walked towards the doors.

Grabbing his shoes, he soon walked down the hall, coming to the main doors and stepping outside to get some fresh air. There, he looked at the moon before sighing. Sitting on the steps, he lifted his shirt, revealing the tori seal on his stomach.

Naruto focused hard before putting his right hand out in front of him. Focusing, he brought forth a Rasengan easily, it's swirling gold form was like a light, having an idea pop into his head Naruto reached into his pants pocket.

He pulled out a Wind Dust crystal, before he sighed and deformed the Rasengan. Slowly, he put the crystal back into his right hand and he stood up. He tried to form a Rasengan, but found it was malformed and close to exploding which made him quickly deactivate it.

Grunting in frustration, he had been trying to mix his technique with dust for a while now, but it was always unstable.

Naruto cupped his left hand under his right hand before activating his fox cloak as he called it, he dubbed it his semblance since it seemed nothing else was coming, and began to drain the cloak's red energy into the Rasengan as it formed over the crystal.

However, he quickly felt drained, but then heard a screech of air. Looking at his Rasengan, he discovered that it had grown to the size of a large Rasengan, but it had four blades of wind sticking from its sides. Focusing, and bringing it up above his head, the blades grew large, before a torrent of wind poured from it.

Snapping his eyes wide open, Naruto felt the urge to throw it, which he did. The blonde mix lobbed the Rasengan high into the air, with the hope that it would just dissipate like all others did. However, what happened next was that the Rasengan exploded outwards to form a large sphere, giving off a brilliant golden light.

As well a thunderous boom.

* * *

Salem's eyes opened, before chuckled and got up. Looking over at her table, she simply walked over to it before clapping her hands together. Black and red energy formed around as she did, before in her hands a screech had formed.

It was a ball of energy, spinning around in between her hands. It slowly grew larger, with her slowly walking it outside. She was joined by a ghost of adult blonde air man, she deformed the ball, chuckling. "Hello, my ancestor…we've come to talk to each other again? "

The ghost overlooked Taiyo from Salem's vantage point, before looking at her. _"_ _You've betrayed my legacy…"_

"I betrayed no one Lord Uzumaki, I've merely delayed it." Salem states as she crosses her arms.

 _"_ _Umidara wouldn't had wanted this Salem, if I was you, Hinata wouldn't had wanted me to give into the darkness."_ Uzumaki states as he takes a sit on the ground, his white kimono flowing in nonexistent wind.

"That's the thing Lord Uzumaki," Salem raised her right hand up, "Umidara doesn't get to say what happens now."

Slowly, black tendrils of energy gathered around her palm, collapsing into a dark ball of energy that flowed with a red hue. Salem drew back and then launched the ball forward. Uzumaki watched unimpressed as the sphere impacted a mountain before shattering it a brilliant and howling explosion.

"I'm more powerful than The Demoness of your time, Kaguya, and even her clan can't compare to me." Salem states before gripping her hands. "And, when I go to Vale…I'll make sure to march upon Ozpin's head for his betrayal."

 _"_ _Ozpin merely did what Kakashi would've done for me, he's the same, even if reincarnated…Salem…it's not too late to turn back."_ Uzumaki says as she looked at him, _"_ _Umidara is waiting for you…"_

"I cannot face him, not until his murderers are all ash upon the world." Salem tells him while clutches her hands, before smiling. "It was nice however of Lord Kurama to leave a piece of himself here. I aim to create my own bonded."

 _"_ _Salem…don't do anything more than you'll regret later."_  
"Or what, you'll just transfer another idea to your budding reincarnation? My reincarnation bares both light and darkness Lord Uzumaki. You best remember just as easily he can learn from you, I can easily bring out the true force of his powers."  
 _"_ _Darkness isn't our strongest, light always has been."  
_ "I haven't met a light that killed me, my own won't be able to do it either."

Sighing, the ghost of Uzumaki looked at her. _"_ _I must go…please Salem, reconsider your stance. Though I can't directly intervene, I can nurture a champion who can."_

"Send forth this champion, his or her head will just be on a pike…just like their father's." Salem coldly retorted.


End file.
